Cameroonian authorities have arrested journalists investigating the detention of migrants deported from the United States, as concerns mount over the Trump administration’s secretive expulsion of individuals to the Central African nation despite legal protections against their return to their home countries.
At least 17 individuals – including asylum seekers and a stateless person – from nine African nations have been deported to Cameroon in January and February under a previously undisclosed agreement, according to Human Rights Watch. The deportees hail from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.
Upon arrival, Cameroonian authorities immediately detained the deportees, despite lacking a legal basis for doing so, according to a lawyer assisting the group. While representatives from United Nations agencies have discussed the possibility of asylum in Cameroon with the deportees, the individuals have reportedly expressed pressure to return to their countries of origin.
Several of those deported had existing court orders in the U.S. Protecting them from deportation due to fears of persecution or torture. The Trump administration circumvented these protections by sending them to Cameroon, a country Human Rights Watch and others have consistently identified as unsafe for deportations. The organization documented in 2022 that Cameroonian asylum seekers previously deported by the U.S. Experienced harm upon their return.
The New York Times reported that the deportations began on January 14, with individuals being flown to Cameroon from Alexandria, Louisiana, and informed of their destination only after being handcuffed and chained on the flight. Cameroon’s Ministry of External Affairs has declined to comment on the arrangement, and the State Department has refused to discuss “diplomatic communications with other governments” regarding the terms of the agreement.
The secrecy surrounding the deportations has drawn criticism, with observers noting this is the first known instance of the U.S. Expelling individuals to Cameroon who are not Cameroonian citizens. The Times reported that the U.S. Has not publicly announced any agreement with Cameroon to accept deportees from other nations.
Adding to the concerns, four journalists and a lawyer were arrested in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital, while attempting to interview the detained deportees, according to reports from Democracy Now! and MSN. Police confiscated the journalists’ phones, cameras, and laptops, alleging they possessed sensitive government information. The journalists, including a BBC freelancer and reporters from the Associated Press, have since been released, along with the attorney, Joseph Awah Fru.
Despite being a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and possessing national refugee legislation, Cameroon has already seen two of the deported individuals return to their countries of origin. Fifteen remain detained in Yaoundé. The forced return of individuals to countries where they face persecution, torture, or other serious harm – known as refoulement – is prohibited under international law.
Human Rights Watch has called for the immediate release of the remaining deportees, ensuring protection from refoulement, and arranging for their return to the United States. The organization also urged Cameroon to respect freedom of the press and hold authorities accountable for any abuses.
