{
  "id": 12822332,
  "title": "EXPLAINER | Did US deportees enter South Africa? Officials set record straight",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/explainer-did-us-deportees-enter-south-africa-officials-set-record",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T08:13:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-10-08-explainer-did-us-deportees-enter-south-africa-officials-set-record-straight/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Department of International Relations and Cooperation and Border Management Authority have responded to claims that three deportees from the United States have entered South Africa. The trio, originating from Yemen, Belize and Laos, were part of a group of Third Country Nationals (TCNs) transferred to the southern African nation under a contentious agreement between the United States and Eswatini. The Border Management Authority clarified that South Africa's land Ports of Entry are well-secured, with access control measures in place at designated entry and exit points. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation's Head of Diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, shared a statement from Eswatini's acting government confirming the process the men went through to return to their home countries. All three individuals voluntarily departed Eswatini upon request, with the Yemeni individual leaving on September 8, 2026, the Belizean on September 30, and the Laotian on October 4, 2026. This development comes as international scrutiny grows over the US government's practice of deporting individuals to countries where they lack citizenship ties or previous connections. The agreement, signed in May 2025, allows Eswatini to accept up to 160 third-country nationals removed from the US, while the United States commits around $5.1 million to bolster Eswatini's border and migration-management capabilities. The first five deportees were sent to Eswatini in July 2025, comprising nationals of Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen. Human Rights Watch has criticized the arrangement, stating that none of the five had ever been to Eswatini or had any ties to the country. Subsequent groups arrived in October 2025, March 2026, and July 2026, with a total of around 32 people transferred. The initiative has drawn heavy criticism from human rights organizations, with Amnesty International accusing the authorities of arbitrarily detaining individuals with no known ties to Eswatini and demanding greater transparency, legal access, and due process. Phone Chomsavanh, a Laotian national among the original five, was released earlier this month after spending over a year in a maximum-security prison in Eswatini. He is now reportedly heading towards Laos, highlighting the controversy surrounding the third-country deportation program, particularly given his lack of prior connection to Eswatini. The latest departures indicate that some of those transferred under the arrangement are now being assisted to leave Eswatini and return to their respective countries of origin. The Eswatini government expressed appreciation to the countries and authorities involved in facilitating the three individuals' travel home and reiterated its commitment to respecting the rights, dignity, and well-being of TCNs while safeguarding the kingdom's security and interests.",
  "summary": "Eswatini says three nationals deported from the US have returned to Yemen, Belize and Laos, as Pretoria rejects claims that deportees are entering South Africa illegally.",
  "key_points": [
    "Three US deportees from Yemen, Belize, and Laos entered South Africa.",
    "South Africa's ports of entry are secured with access control measures.",
    "Eswatini's acting government confirmed voluntary departures and travel home."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}