Legal representatives of 36 African migrants expelled from the US have filed a lawsuit in Cameroon’s administrative court challenging the bilateral migration agreement between Yaoundé and Washington. The case, disclosed through their lawyer Me Joseph Fru Awah, requests immediate suspension of the agreement’s enforcement, which permits the transfer of irregular migrants from American soil to Cameroonian territory. The plaintiffs additionally seek recognition of a protected legal status allowing them to remain in Cameroon without fear of deportation.

Their legal team argues that several deportees face credible threats of persecution or torture if returned to their countries of origin. « Cameroon cannot serve as a transit point for individuals facing persecution or torture, » stated Me Joseph Fru Awah during the court filing. The petitioners hail from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco.

Administrative limbo fuels legal battle

According to their attorney, these migrants had previously secured US court orders blocking their deportation to their home countries. Despite this protection, they were transferred to Cameroon between January and May 2026 and currently reside in a temporary facility supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Their legal representatives highlight the absence of proper identification documents or clear residency permits, with movement restrictions still in place. Cameroon is among several African nations that have agreed to accept deportees from the United States, alongside Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Eswatini.

Under US policy, when deportation to a migrant’s country of origin is blocked by court rulings, transfer to a third country remains a legal alternative. The Yaoundé tribunal’s upcoming ruling could set a precedent on how such agreements are implemented domestically.