HESPRESS English – Morocco News Khadija TachfineThursday 26 February 2026 - 22:00 A 21-year-old Moroccan woman was deported by U.S. authorities to Cameroon despite having been granted protection from removal to her home country, according to a report by The Associated Press. The woman, identified as Farah, had received a protection order in August 2025 from a U.S. immigration judge barring her return to Morocco on the grounds that she could face danger there, the report said. Farah fled Morocco with her partner after her family learned about her sexual orientation. The couple traveled to Brazil and then crossed six countries over several weeks before reaching the U.S. border in early 2025, where they applied for asylum, according to AP. She was detained for nearly a year, first in Arizona and later in Louisiana. While her asylum request was denied, she was subsequently granted protection from removal to Morocco. Her partner was denied both asylum and protection and was deported, the report said. Three days before a scheduled hearing on her release, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementhandcuffed her and placed her on a flight to Cameroon, AP reported. After refusing to remain there, she was later flown to Morocco. The report said Farah was one of two women in the first group of deportees to ultimately return to Morocco. AP also reported that dozens of migrants have been deported by U.S. authorities to third countries despite having legal protections from immigration judges. The administration has used third-country removals as part of efforts to encourage migrants living in the United States without legal status to leave voluntarily, according to the report. A detention facility in Yaoundé, Cameroon, is currently holding 15 deportees from various African countries, none of whom are Cameroonian, AP reported. Cameroon Moroccan national United States Follow the latest news from Hespress on WhatsApp Newsletter Subscribe now to the newsletter, to receive the latest news daily