The United States has deported another third-country national to Cameroon, lawyers told The Associated Press, days after it was revealed it had sent nine people to the Central African country last month as part of a secret plan to deport migrants to unrelated countries.
Alma David, a lawyer with Novo Legal Group in the US, said a group of migrants without Cameroonian citizenship arrived on a deportation flight that landed in the capital Yaounde yesterday (Monday).
David and Cameroon-based lawyer Joseph Awa Fro said they believe there were nine third-country nationals on board the plane, but added they had not yet been able to contact them.
The two lawyers said they were providing legal advice to some of the nine migrants (five women and four men) from other African countries who were deported from the United States to Cameroon last month.
White House officials confirmed that a second deportation trip to Cameroon had taken place, without providing details.
The New York Times first revealed on Saturday that a group of nine people was secretly sent to Cameroon last month. Two of them later returned home, David said.
Cameroon, ruled by President Paul Biya for 93 years since 1982, is the last of at least seven African countries to accept expelled third-country nationals as part of a deal with the United States. Other countries that have signed agreements with the United States include South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea.
Some of these countries received millions of dollars in exchange for accepting deported immigrants, according to documents published by the U.S. State Department. However, details of several other agreements, including the one with Cameroon, have not been made public by the Trump administration.
A report prepared by Democratic staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and released last week revealed that the Trump administration spent at least $40 million to deport about 300 immigrants to countries other than their own, including Africa and Central America.
There are 47 agreements with third countries in various stages of negotiation, of which 15 have been concluded and 10 are in progress or nearing completion, according to domestic administrative documents seen by The Associated Press.
The United States has deported another third-country national to Cameroon, days after it was revealed it had sent nine people to the Central African country last month as part of a secret plan to deport migrants to unrelated countries, lawyers told The Associated Press.
Alma David, a lawyer with the American group Novo Legal Group, said a group of non-Cameroonian migrants arrived on a deportation flight that landed in the capital Yaoundé yesterday (Monday).
David and his Cameroonian lawyer, Joseph Awa Fro, said they believed nine third-country nationals were on board the plane, but added they had not yet been able to contact them.
The two lawyers said they were providing legal advice to some of the nine immigrants (five women and four men) from other African countries who were deported from the United States to Cameroon last month.
White House officials confirmed that a second deportation flight to Cameroon had occurred, without providing details.
The New York Times revealed for the first time on Saturday that he secretly sent a group of nine people to Cameroon last month. David said two of them later returned to their home countries.
Cameroon, ruled by President Paul Biya, 93, since 1982, is the latest of at least seven African countries to accept the forced return of third-country nationals under an agreement with the United States. Other countries that have signed agreements with the United States include South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea.
Some of these countries received millions of dollars in exchange for accepting deported immigrants, according to documents published by the U.S. State Department. However, details of several other agreements, including the one with Cameroon, have not been disclosed by the Trump administration.
A report prepared by Democratic staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and released last week revealed that the Trump administration spent at least $40 million to deport about 300 immigrants to countries other than their own in Africa, Central America and other regions.
There are 47 agreements with third countries in various stages of negotiation, with 15 finalized and 10 in progress or nearing completion, according to domestic administrative documents reviewed by The Associated Press.
