Thirty-six African migrants, expelled from the United States to Yaoundé, have filed a legal challenge in Cameroon’s administrative court. Their lawyer, Me Joseph Fru Awah, argues that the Central African nation cannot serve as a transit point for sending individuals into persecution or torture.
According to the legal team, the group—comprising nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe and Morocco—were protected from deportation back to their home countries under U.S. law before being transferred to Cameroon between January and May 2026. Now stranded without legal status, they face the risk of being sent back to the very places they fled.
Legal action targets us-Cameroon migration deal
The lawsuit, lodged at the Yaoundé Administrative Tribunal, demands the suspension of the bilateral migration agreement between Cameroon and the United States. It also seeks to secure legal protection for the migrants, allowing them to remain in Cameroon lawfully. The primary objective is to prevent their forced return to their countries of origin, where they claim they could face harm.
“Cameroon cannot be instrumentalized as a transit hub to reroute individuals toward persecution or torture,” stated Me Fru Awah in a public statement. He emphasized that the migrants, currently held in a facility managed by Cameroonian authorities in coordination with the International Organization for Migration, lack any clear legal documentation or freedom of movement.
High-stakes pressure and financial incentives
Reports indicate that the U.S. government has offered substantial financial packages—reportedly in the millions of dollars—as well as visa restrictions threats to persuade African nations, including Cameroon, to accept expelled migrants. These transfers bypass direct deportation to the migrants’ home countries, where they may face persecution or unsafe conditions.
The 36 individuals, who were previously shielded by U.S. courts from deportation, now find themselves in legal limbo in Cameroon. Despite their protected status under American law, they have been stripped of documentation and subjected to movement restrictions, leaving them vulnerable and without recourse.
Cameroon among nations accepting expelled migrants
Cameroon is one of several African countries that have agreed to receive migrants expelled from the U.S., joining nations such as Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Sudan, Eswatini, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.
While U.S. authorities assert that they cannot return the migrants to their countries of origin, they maintain that transferring them to third countries remains within legal bounds. The legal battle unfolding in Yaoundé could set a critical precedent for the rights of expelled migrants and the limits of international transit agreements.
