Nine migrants from four African nations arrived in Cameroon on Wednesday after being expelled from the United States, a lawyer for the group confirmed Thursday. The deportation is part of a controversial US program that sends undocumented migrants to third countries when direct repatriation is blocked.
The six women and three men are nationals of Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, and Congo-Brazzaville, said Alma David, a US immigration lawyer. They are the third group sent to Cameroon under the scheme since January, bringing the total to 26.
Cameroon is one of several African countries — including Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan, Eswatini, and the Democratic Republic of Congo — that have agreed to accept deportees from the US. The deals apply when US courts block deportation to a migrant’s home country over safety concerns. According to the New York Times, Washington is paying Cameroon $30 million to participate.
Joseph Awah Fru, a Cameroonian lawyer who has tracked earlier arrivals in Yaounde, confirmed Wednesday’s flight to AFP.
Of the 17 migrants previously sent to Cameroon, four have since been deported to their countries of origin: Morocco, Angola, and Senegal. Two Moroccan women were returned despite US courts ruling their fears for their safety were credible. Awah said they are now living in hiding in Morocco
The remaining 13 are housed at a center run by Cameroonian authorities with the International Organization for Migration. They may apply for asylum in Cameroon.
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