A group of ten migrants deported from the United States arrived early Monday, October 6, 2025, in the southern African nation of Eswatini, the government confirmed. Their arrival marks the latest transfer under Washington’s controversial third-country deportation program, which has faced international criticism from rights organizations and legal advocates.
According to U.S.-based lawyer Tin Thanh Nguyen, the deportees’ flight departed from Alexandria, Louisiana, and made multiple stops in Puerto Rico, Senegal, and Angola before landing in Eswatini. Nguyen, who represents two Vietnamese nationals on the flight, said they had been detained at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana. “We tracked their flight with the help of Human Rights First,” Nguyen told the Associated Press, describing the journey as “shrouded in secrecy and lacking transparency.”
In a statement released Monday, the Eswatini government confirmed the group’s arrival, stating that “10 deportees have been securely accommodated in one of the country’s correctional facilities.” The statement did not specify their nationalities or the exact location of their detention but noted that all were “in good health and undergoing admission processes.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not commented on the latest deportations but has previously defended the program, asserting that President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “are using every tool available to get criminal illegal aliens out of American communities and out of our country.”
This latest deportation follows the July transfer of four men from Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen to Eswatini, who have since been held at the maximum-security Matsapha prison without charge. Their attorney, Nguyen, confirmed that two of them are among his clients. Despite repeated court challenges, Eswatini authorities have blocked legal access to the detainees. A local lawyer was granted permission to visit them by court order last Friday, but the government immediately appealed the ruling, preventing the visit.
The U.S. government claimed the earlier group were “convicted criminals” with existing deportation orders. One Jamaican deportee from that group has since been repatriated.
In response to mounting criticism, Eswatini authorities stated they “remain committed to the humane treatment of all persons in custody.” However, civic organizations and rights activists in Eswatini have filed legal actions arguing that detaining the migrants without charge is unconstitutional. Hearings have been repeatedly postponed, and one session last month was canceled when the presiding judge failed to appear.
Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have condemned the U.S.-Eswatini deportation deal, calling it part of a “dangerous precedent” that places migrants at risk in countries with poor human rights records. According to documents reviewed by the group, the U.S. has pledged $5.1 million to Eswatini in exchange for accepting up to 160 deportees.
Eswatini, a small landlocked monarchy bordered by South Africa, is ruled by King Mswati III, who has governed by decree since 1986. Political parties are effectively banned, and dissent is tightly controlled, raising further concerns about the welfare of deportees held in the country.
The U.S. program has reportedly included similar agreements with South Sudan, Rwanda, Ghana, and Uganda. Six deportees remain in detention in South Sudan, while Rwanda has yet to disclose the location of seven others. In Ghana, 11 of 14 deportees are suing the government, claiming they are being held in “inhumane conditions” at a military camp near Accra.
Human rights advocates continue to call for greater transparency, urging Washington to halt deportations to countries where detainees face potential abuse or denial of due process. As Nguyen put it, “This is not just about deportation—it’s about accountability, fairness, and basic human dignity.”
