36 African Migrants Deported from US to Cameroon File Legal Challenge

Thirty-six African migrants deported from the United States to Cameroon have initiated legal action in the Central African nation, aiming to regularize their legal status and prevent forced return to their countries of origin, their lawyer announced Wednesday.

The lawsuit targets the US-Cameroon migration agreement

The suit, filed before the Administrative Court in Yaoundé, calls for the suspension of the migration agreement between Cameroon and the United States. According to lawyer Fro Owah, the measure would allow the deported individuals to reside legally in Cameroon and block their removal to their home countries.

The legal challenge contests Cameroon’s implementation of an arrangement with the United States under which individuals had previously been granted protection from deportation by U.S. immigration courts. The plaintiffs argue that this arrangement was executed without adequate legal safeguards for those affected.

Legal demands include status clarification and travel rights

In addition to suspending further implementation of the arrangement pending a determination of its legality, the lawsuit asks the Cameroonian government to clarify the legal status of the 36 individuals. It also seeks to prohibit their deportation to countries where they may face persecution or torture.

The deportations occurred between January and May of this year. The migrants are currently housed in a facility operated by Cameroonian authorities in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration. They have been denied identity documents and lack a clearly defined legal status. Movement restrictions have also been imposed on them.