The controversial policy enabling the transfer of undocumented migrants from the U.S. to third countries has sparked outrage. In a landmark move, 36 African nationals expelled from the United States to Cameroon in early 2026 have filed a lawsuit in Yaoundé, demanding legal protection and the suspension of the bilateral migration agreement with Washington, their legal representative Me Joseph Fru Awah announced.

The lawsuit, lodged with the Yaoundé Administrative Court, seeks to halt the U.S.-Cameroon migration pact while enabling the 36 deportees to apply for Cameroonian legal protection and residency permits.

Its primary objective is to prevent their repatriation to their countries of origin, Me Joseph Fru Awah emphasized in a statement. “Cameroon cannot function as a transit hub for individuals facing persecution or torture,” he declared, condemning the practice.

Millions in payments and coercive tactics

Originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco, these 36 individuals had previously won U.S. court protection against deportation to their home countries. However, between January and May 2026, they were forcibly transferred to Cameroon, where they now face imminent expulsion to their countries of origin.

Since their arrival in Yaoundé, they have been confined to a facility managed by Cameroonian authorities in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). According to Me Joseph Fru Awah, they remain “deprived of identification documents and clear legal status”, while facing “travel restrictions”.

Financial incentives behind controversial deals

Cameroon is among several African nations—including the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Sudan, Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone—that have agreed to accept deportees from the U.S. Washington insists that while it cannot return these individuals to their countries of origin, it retains the right to relocate them to third countries.

Investigations have revealed that the U.S. has offered financial incentives worth millions of dollars and threatened visa restrictions to persuade African governments to accept expelled migrants, regardless of their continent of origin.