With no legal process and no assessment of individual cases and risks to deportees, the deportations amounted to collective expulsions, which are prohibited under international customary law. Mass expulsions also create a risk of violating the legal principle of non-refoulment, which prohibits returning or transferring anyone to a country where they would be at risk of serious human rights violation. Refoulement concerns are particularly strong for all Cameroonians from the Anglophone region of the country, where there has been armed conflict between the government and separatist groups since 2017. The 11 Cameroonians interviewed are all from this region...

Under international law, in order not to be arbitrary, detention must be prescribed by law, necessary in the specific circumstances and proportionate to the legitimate aim pursued. Migration-related detention should always be used as a last resort and for the shortest time possible. It must be based on an individualized assessment. The individuals affected must be informed of the reasons of their detention and allowed to challenge its lawfulness. Recognized refugees should never be detained for migration-related purposes. No one should be subjected, individually or collectively, to arbitrary arrest or detention