The United States Congress: More than 40 members of Congress urged Joe Biden to halt deportation of Cameroonian migrants to unsafe homeland
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In the latest request by more than 40 members of the US Congress, they have sent a signed letter to the President of the United States to halt the deportation of Cameroonian migrants. Members of the Democratic Party wrote to President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on 17 February 2021 requesting the authorities to grant temporary protected status to Cameroonians living in the United States. According to the request, they ask Joe Biden administration should place an 18-month halt on their deportation. As quoted “We write to you today to request that you issue an immediate 18-month designation of either Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Cameroon, Considering the worsening conditions in the country.”
According to the US Congress members, Cameroon is witnessing a rise in human rights violations as a result of the political crisis and Boko Haram insurgency in the Northern part of the Country. The political crisis including the ongoing-armed conflict in the North West and South West region has led to the massive internal and external displacement of civilians. Most people are seeking asylum in the United States. This is because they considered the United States a safer place to seek refuge given an upsurge in the suppression of speech and assembly in Cameroon.
It is worthy to note that, the administration of former President Donald Trump had earlier deported the first batch of Cameroonians. The faith of some of those who were deported remains unknown. The deportation was widely condemned by the national and international Human Rights bodies including Human Rights Watch. The condemnation came because of the ongoing political crisis and the ongoing-armed conflict in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. In the recent letter, the 14 senators and 28 House members said, “The Trump administration has shamefully mistreated and deported Cameroonian asylum seekers back to danger just this year. We urge you to do much better.”
The Congress members while concluding their letter said “Conditions in Cameroon continue to worsen as violence continues and the pandemic continues to take its public health and economic toll. We call upon the administration to do its part to protect Cameroonians in the United States from deportation back to unsafe conditions by designating Cameroon from TPS or DED. We thank you for your consideration.”
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.
