36 african migrants challenge US deportation policy in Cameroon court

Thirty-six African migrants expelled from the United States to Cameroon in early 2026 have filed a legal challenge in Yaoundé, seeking to suspend a bilateral migration agreement and secure legal protection in Cameroon. The move follows their abrupt transfer from US custody to Cameroonian authorities, which their legal representative calls a violation of international law.

Legal battle against deportation agreements

Attorney Joseph Fru Awah announced the lawsuit at a Yaoundé press briefing, arguing that the Cameroonian government cannot serve as a transit point for sending individuals to face persecution or torture in their home countries. The complaint, filed with the Administrative Court of Yaoundé, demands the immediate suspension of the US-Cameroon deportation pact and recognition of the migrants’ right to remain in Cameroon under protected status.

The 36 individuals, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco, had been protected from deportation in the US under temporary legal measures. Between January and May 2026, they were forcibly returned to Cameroon, where they now face renewed risk of deportation to their countries of origin.

Living in legal limbo

Upon arrival in Yaoundé, the migrants were placed in a detention facility operated jointly by Cameroonian authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). According to their lawyer, they have been denied identity documents and face severe movement restrictions, leaving them unable to work, access healthcare, or regularize their status.

The group includes individuals who had fled conflict zones, political persecution, or economic hardship in their home countries. Many had built lives in the US for years under temporary protected status before being caught in the administration’s expanded deportation enforcement.

Diplomatic pressure and financial incentives

The US government has defended the deportation transfers, asserting that while it cannot send individuals back to countries deemed unsafe, it retains the right to relocate them to third countries. Reports indicate Washington has offered millions in financial aid and threatened visa restrictions to persuade African nations—including Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and others—to accept deported migrants.

The legal challenge represents the first major court test of this deportation-by-proxy strategy, which has drawn criticism from human rights groups. Legal experts warn that the transfers may contravene international refugee law by effectively outsourcing deportation responsibilities to vulnerable nations.