An opaque agreement reportedly links Cameroonian and American authorities to host individuals returned from the United States.
According to information published by Pranav Baskar, an international journalist and member of the 2025-2026 class of the Times Fellowship—a program for early-career journalists—reporters were detained on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at a state center located in Yaoundé, where African migrants recently deported from the United States are being held.
Among those arrested was a journalist working for the Associated Press, as well as three other reporters and a lawyer representing several migrants. Two of the detainees claimed that the American agency journalist was struck during his arrest, though he did not suffer serious injuries. All were later released, but their work equipment—phones, cameras, and computers—was confiscated by the police.
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According to the journalist’s investigation, the site reportedly serves as a detention center for non-Cameroonian migrants deported by the Department of Homeland Security. Most of them had reportedly benefited from legal protections in the United States, prohibiting their return to their countries of origin due to risks of persecution.
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The U.S. administration has not publicly announced an agreement with Cameroonian authorities to host these individuals. When questioned about potential diplomatic arrangements, The New York Times reveals that the United States Department of State refused to comment on its exchanges with other governments. These revelations raise concerns regarding the respect for human rights and the opacity of deportation procedures.
An independent journalist collaborating with the BBC was also among those detained. According to several testimonies collected by the American daily, some migrants were reportedly pressured to accept a return to their countries of origin, under threat of prolonged detention.
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