U.S. Deportations to Cameroon Spark Reports of Abuse and Detention As 10 Cameroonian Migrants Sleep in Same Cell
By Wilson Musa
Ten Cameroonian migrants recently deported by the Trump administration are reportedly being held at the Judicial Police (PJ) in Elig Essono, Yaoundé. Among them is an asylum seeker who told US based journalist, Angie Forbin, that he was detained during an immigration appointment in September despite having legal representation. After four months in a New Orleans prison, he was deported via a special flight. Upon arrival, the group was met by armed police. He revealed that those who resisted boarding in the U.S. were beaten by immigration officers.
Currently, the detainees, including one woman sharing a cell with men, face poor conditions and lack of potable water. Authorities are reportedly investigating them for potential involvement in past overseas embassy protests.
While Cameroonians are poorly treated, reports say deportees from other countries brought to Cameroon are being treated well.
The removals come as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security moves to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 7,900 Cameroonians by June 2025, citing improved conditions in the country. However, human rights organizations have documented a pattern of arbitrary detention, physical abuse, and extortion facing returnees upon their arrival in Cameroon.
Reports indicate that at least 150 individuals have been removed to Cameroon since late 2025 under various enforcement priorities. In some instances, deportees have allegedly been held incommunicado or subjected to mixed-gender detention in poor sanitary conditions.The U.S. government maintains these removals are consistent with national security goals and lawful enforcement .
