A group of 36 African migrants expelled from the United States has initiated legal proceedings in Cameroon to contest a bilateral migration agreement with Washington. Their lawyer, Me Joseph Fru Awah, confirmed the filing at the Yaoundé administrative tribunal, aiming to halt the enforcement of the deal that permits irregular migrants from US soil to be transferred to Cameroonian territory. The lawsuit also seeks legal recognition allowing the plaintiffs to remain in Cameroon without risk of further deportation.

The defense argues that several clients face credible threats of persecution or torture if returned to their countries of origin. « Cameroon cannot serve as a transit point for sending individuals back into harm’s way, » stated Me Joseph Fru Awah. The plaintiffs originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco.

Unresolved administrative limbo

According to their legal representative, these migrants previously held US court orders blocking their removal to their home countries. Despite this, they were transferred to Cameroon between January and May 2026 and currently reside in a facility managed with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The group remains without proper identification documents or clear legal status, and their movements remain restricted. Cameroon is among several African nations that have agreed to accept migrants expelled from the US to third countries, alongside the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Eswatini.

The US administration under President Trump maintains that when deportation to a migrant’s country of origin is legally blocked, transfer to a third country remains permissible. The Yaoundé court’s ruling on this case could set a precedent for how such agreements are enforced within Cameroonian jurisdiction.