A group of 36 African migrants expelled from the US has taken legal action in Cameroon to challenge a migration agreement between Yaoundé and Washington. Their lawyer, Me Joseph Fru Awah, disclosed the filing at the Yaoundé administrative tribunal, aiming to suspend the pact that permits the transfer of undocumented migrants from the US to Cameroon. The plaintiffs are also seeking legal recognition to remain in Cameroon permanently.

The lawsuit additionally targets preventing deportation back to their home countries. Their counsel argues that several clients face credible risks of persecution or torture if forced to return. “Cameroon cannot serve as a transit hub to send individuals back to persecution or torture,” stated Me Joseph Fru Awah, as reported in the filings. The affected individuals originate from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco.

Contested administrative limbo

According to their attorney, these migrants had previously secured US court orders blocking their deportation to their home countries. Despite this, they were transferred to Cameroon between January and May 2026. Since arrival, they have been housed in a facility supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Their legal team highlights their lack of proper identification documents or clear residency status, with their movements still heavily restricted. Cameroon is among 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 the Congo, Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Eswatini.

The administration under former US President Donald Trump maintained that when US courts block deportations to a migrant’s country of origin, transfers to third countries remain legally permissible. The Yaoundé lawsuit could now prompt Cameroonian courts to rule on the conditions governing this mechanism within its borders.