Cameroonian authorities have arrested journalists investigating the detention of migrants deported from the United States, as concerns mount over the Trump administration’s secretive deportation policies and the fate of those sent to the Central African nation. The arrests occurred at a state-run compound in Yaoundé, where several non-Cameroonian nationals are being held after being deported by the U.S. Government.
Under a clandestine agreement reached in January and February, the U.S. Deported 17 individuals – including asylum seekers and a stateless person – from nine African countries: Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. These deportations have sparked outrage from human rights organizations, who argue that Cameroon is an unsafe destination for individuals fleeing persecution.
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 within Cameroon with the deportees, the individuals have reportedly expressed a desire to return to their countries of origin. Two of those deported have already returned to their home countries, while fifteen remain in detention in Yaoundé.
The deportations raise serious legal questions, as several of those sent to Cameroon had court-ordered protections against deportation from the United States due to fears of persecution or torture. The Trump administration circumvented these protections by sending them to Cameroon, a country consistently identified by Human Rights Watch and others as unsafe for deportations. For years, Cameroon has experienced violence and armed conflict, with the government cracking down on opposition and the media, and both armed groups and government forces accused of widespread abuses, including torture in detention.
The crackdown extends beyond the deportees themselves. Four journalists – including a freelance journalist who has worked with the BBC, Randy Joe Sa’ah, and three reporters from the Associated Press – were arrested while attempting to interview the deportees at the Yaoundé compound. Along with attorney Joseph Awah Fru, they were detained and had their phones, cameras, and laptops confiscated, with authorities claiming the journalists possessed sensitive government information. All five have since been released.
Press freedom groups have condemned the arrests, highlighting the Cameroonian government’s increasing hostility towards journalists investigating the deportations. The Novel York Times reported that the deportations are the first known expulsions to Cameroon under the Trump administration, underscoring the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the global deportation effort. The U.S. Government has not commented on the arrests of the journalists or the conditions of the deportees.
The forced return of individuals to countries where they face risks of persecution, torture, or other serious harm – known as refoulement – is prohibited under international law. Human rights advocates are calling for the immediate release of the remaining deportees, assurances against refoulement, and arrangements for their return to the United States. They also urge the U.S. To end deportation agreements with third countries lacking adequate safeguards, which have consistently resulted in abuses.
