Humanitarian Relief for Deported Cameroonian Asylum Seekers

(Washington, DC, July 18, 2024) – A coalition of human rights organizations announced that the government has sanctioned the return of 27 Cameroonian asylum seekers who were expelled from the United States in 2020. This decision comes after acknowledging the humanitarian grounds for their return, particularly considering violations of asylum confidentiality which had detrimental effects on their safety upon return to Cameroon.

The deported individuals, as reported, faced a range of severe mistreatment during their detention in the United States, including harsh physical control techniques, deceptive confinement practices, racial biases, and neglect of their medical needs.

In late 2020, during the height of the deportation of Cameroonian asylum seekers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, the administration of former President Donald Trump executed numerous removals back to Cameroon. These actions were carried out despite mounting dangers in their homeland and objections raised by various legal and humanitarian groups.

Prior to their deportation, ICE officials prohibited many detainees from retrieving their personal belongings. This included critical asylum documents, which, when left behind, resulted in their exposure to Cameroonian authorities after their return.

Reports have documented numerous abuses faced by the repatriated individuals at the hands of Cameroonian authorities, including sexual assault, torture, arbitrary detentions, extortion, and other forms of physical abuse. These actions have resulted in severe restrictions on the freedoms of movement and have unjustly targeted the asylum seekers’ family members back in Cameroon.

Recently, the Department of Homeland Security in the US granted humanitarian parole to these 27 former detainees. This legal mechanism enables individuals to temporarily enter the United States on humanitarian grounds. Their applications were submitted by advocacy groups focused on immigrant rights and legal aid. These submissions included claims that ICE officials’ actions violated asylum confidentiality, leading to the serious repercussions they faced back in Cameroon.

Currently, the 27 individuals can remain in the United States for a period of one year, during which they have the opportunity to reapply for asylum.

One of the asylum seekers reflected on their harrowing journey, stating, “When I fled my country and made my way to the US border, I thought that America would be a safe haven. But with all the suffering I went through during immigration detention and deportation, I felt betrayed and shocked. Sending us back to Cameroon with our documents exposed was like putting a target on our backs. Now, for the US to finally right this wrong means there’s still hope. I can dream again.”

Cameroon has experienced significant conflict and violence across various regions in recent years, leading to looming humanitarian crises. The government has increasingly cracked down on dissent and opposition. Since late 2016, residents in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon have faced severe repercussions from government forces and armed separatist factions, resulting in massive displacements, alongside ongoing violence in the Far North region.

Statistics reveal that, despite the dire conditions in Cameroon, U.S. immigration courts granted asylum or other forms of protection to 24% fewer Cameroonians in fiscal year 2020 compared to 2019. This decline greatly outpaces the overall fall experienced by asylum seekers, which indicates systemic issues in the asylum process.

Human Rights Watch has pointed to various due process challenges, inaccuracies in gathering facts, and numerous other complications that have led to the unjust denial of asylum claims for many deported Cameroonians, despite their credible allegations of persecution.

Moreover, detainees from Cameroon in ICE facilities were subjected to treatment that was notably worse than that faced by other immigrants during the Trump administration. In August 2020, a group of Cameroonian detainees in Louisiana staged a protest against their prolonged detainment, leading to brutal responses from guards who used pepper spray and inflicted physical harm upon them.

The number of deportations of Cameroonian nationals soared in late 2020 as the administration prepared for a transition. By returning these individuals to imminent danger, the Trump administration violated the crucial principle of nonrefoulement, a fundamental tenet of international refugee law, further exacerbated by their breach of confidentiality.

Daniel Tse, founder of an advocacy organization, stated, “The 27 Cameroonian asylum seekers who have returned to the US suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of both US and Cameroonian authorities. The US government took a positive step by approving their returns, but it should not have taken four years to remedy its error. This is no arbitrary reversal of deportations – humanitarian parole is a legal return process under US immigration law, used to help those in danger.”

Despite this positive development, the 27 individuals represent only a small fraction of the many Cameroonians currently in need of safety. The Biden administration has established Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroonians residing in the US, shielding them from deportation for a duration of 18 months, with extensions granted until June 2025.

However, backlog issues in processing these applications have hindered thousands of Cameroonians from accessing the needed protection. It is essential for the US government to bolster resources for managing application backlogs and to persistently advocate for the redesignation of Cameroon for TPS, in light of the ongoing crises and risks in the country.

Supporters of the returned Cameroonians include various human rights organizations committed to fighting for immigrant rights, legal aid, and protection for those fleeing persecution.