Politique

Migrants expelled from US take legal action against Cameroon agreement

By sahel-express / August 7, 2026
JUSTICE

Migrants expelled from the US take legal action against Cameroon’s agreement with Washington

Thirty-six African nationals, forcibly returned from the United States to Cameroon, have filed a lawsuit with the administrative court in Yaoundé. Their legal challenge seeks to suspend the agreement that enabled their transfer to Cameroon and requests legal protection to prevent further deportation to their countries of origin, where they claim persecution risks.

  • Immigration
Group of migrants in legal consultation

A group of 36 African migrants, expelled from the United States, has initiated legal proceedings in Cameroon to challenge the bilateral migration agreement between Yaoundé and Washington. The move, disclosed by their legal representative, aims to block the enforcement of the deal that permits the transfer of undocumented migrants from the US to Cameroon. The plaintiffs are pursuing two key objectives: first, to suspend the agreement’s application, and second, to secure legal residency status within Cameroon.

Their lawyer argues that the lawsuit also intends to prevent any future deportation to their countries of origin. Several clients, the attorney claims, face credible risks of persecution or torture if returned. « Cameroon cannot be used as a transit hub to send people back into danger », the lawyer stated, emphasizing the humanitarian concerns at stake. The individuals involved hail from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco.

Administrative limbo fuels legal battle

According to their legal team, the migrants had previously obtained US court rulings blocking their deportation to their home countries. Despite these protections, they were transferred to Cameroon between January and May 2026. Since arrival, they have been accommodated in a facility supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The group remains undocumented, lacks clear legal status, and faces movement restrictions, their representatives assert. Cameroon is one of several African nations that have agreed to accept migrants expelled from the US under third-country transfer arrangements, alongside the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Eswatini.

The Trump administration’s stance maintains that when US courts block deportation to a migrant’s country of origin, transfers to third countries remain legally permissible. The ongoing case in Yaoundé could set a precedent for how such agreements are enforced within Cameroon’s jurisdiction.

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