Cameroon: Joe Biden administration to deport at least 60 Cameroonians from the United States.
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As recently announced by the Joe Biden administration, at least 60 Cameroonians illegally staying in the United States of America will be deported to Cameroon this month. The deportation, which is scheduled for 4 February 2021, has been widely criticized. This is because the fate of some of the deported persons who arrived in Cameroon from the United States in 2020 under Donald Trump’s administration remains undetermined. Given that there is the suppression of freedom of speech and the rise in human rights violations in Cameroon, the decision to deport these Cameroonians put them in danger.
In October and November 2020, the US government deported more than 90 Cameroonians. Both national and international stakeholders criticized the decision by the US government including the Human Rights Watch. Ilaria Allegrozzi, the Senior Central Africa Researcher at Human Rights Watch, focusing primarily on Cameroon said “The US government should suspend deportations to Cameroon because of the serious threats Cameroonians face to their lives and freedom upon return…. In addition to a generalized risk of serious harm because of violence in the Far North, North-West, and South-West regions, deportees to Cameroon also face a risk of torture and ill-treatment because of their real or imputed opposition to the government”
There is a need for the United States to consider reversing the decision of deporting the asylum seekers back to Cameroon where the level of human rights violations and the suppression of opposition political party members are at the pick. Deporting these Cameroonians at this particular period is dangerous for their wellbeing, as they can be arrested and detained if they have links with opposition political parties or with the separatist activists
The Cameroon Minister of External Relations earlier on 2 February 2021 affirmed through a communique that some deported Cameroonians would arrived Cameroon on 4 February 2021.
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
