US Sends Second ‘Third-Country’ Flight to Eswatini

The United States has sent a second “third-country” deportation flight to Eswatini, transferring 10 more people under a contentious arrangement that relocates non-nationals to a country with which they have no ties. Authorities in Eswatini said the group will stay in custody pending repatriation, while lawyers and rights groups denounce what they call a secretive and unlawful program.

Eswatini Confirms Detentions

Eswatini’s government said it received 10 individuals under the US arrangement, the second such flight since July. Officials insisted all would be treated humanely, yet human rights monitors reported the first group was held in solitary confinement with no access to counsel. A US-based attorney said he has been blocked from contacting his clients by phone or email.

Rights Groups Raise Alarm

Local and international advocates say the transfers breach both Eswatini’s constitution and international human rights law. Civil society organizations have filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the deal, alleging it was negotiated in secrecy. Earlier deportees from countries including Cuba, Yemen, and Jamaica remain in maximum-security detention as the case moves slowly through the courts.

Washington Defends Program

A White House spokesperson said those deported were convicted of “heinous crimes,” framing the program as a matter of public safety. The Eswatini flights are part of a broader US initiative to send deportees to countries such as Ghana, South Sudan, and Rwanda. Critics warn the policy risks leaving people stranded in nations where they have no support or legal recourse.