Key facts
- Eleven more migrants deported from the U.S. arrived in Eswatini on Wednesday.
- A U.S. lawyer confirmed the arrival of the 11 deportees.
- Ten deportees had arrived in Eswatini earlier in the week.
- Four men deported in mid-July have been held in Eswatini's Matsapha prison without charge for nearly three months.
- Eswatini's government stated it is committed to the humane treatment of those in its custody.
Eleven more migrants deported under a U.S. policy to send them to third countries arrived in Eswatini on Wednesday, according to a U.S. lawyer. Alma David, who represents some of the original deportees sent to the southern African nation last year, confirmed the arrival.
This follows an earlier arrival of 10 migrants on Monday. These deportees are part of a larger group of over 40 sent to Africa since July under agreements with at least five African nations. Rights groups have protested this third-country deportation program.
Tin Thanh Nguyen, a U.S.-based lawyer, stated he represents two Vietnamese nationals among the 10 who arrived Monday. Their flight departed from Alexandria, Louisiana, with stops in Puerto Rico, Senegal, and Angola. The Eswatini government confirmed the 10 arrived and are housed in a correctional facility, stating they are in good health.
Four men from Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen, deported in mid-July, have reportedly been held in Eswatini's Matsapha prison without charge for nearly three months. Nguyen represents two of these men. The Eswatini government has stated its commitment to humane treatment, but an Eswatini-based lawyer was blocked from visiting the four detained men despite a court ruling. The government appealed the ruling, preventing access. Civic groups in Eswatini are protesting the deportations and have filed a separate court case against the detention of the four men, arguing it is illegal to hold them without charge. The case has faced delays.