The Eswatini government says three US deportees from Yemen, Belize and Laos returned to their home countries voluntarily. Image credit Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Eswatini has released an official statement on the US deportees at the centre of claims about secret releases into South Africa. The statement is dated Wednesday, 7 October 2026. In it, the government says the Eswatini deportees returned home voluntarily. Each man asked to go back to his country of origin.
Acting government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli signed the statement. According to the government, three deportees have now left the kingdom. All three arrived under the existing arrangement with the United States. They departed at different times over recent weeks.
When the Eswatini deportees returned home
The statement gives a date for each departure. First, a Yemeni national left on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, after he asked to return home. Then a Belizean national left on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, following a similar request. Finally, the Laotian national left on Sunday, 4 October 2026. He also asked for voluntary repatriation.
Mdluli said these departures form part of ongoing arrangements for deportees in the kingdom. She added that government keeps working with the relevant authorities and partners. Together, they handle repatriation requests under the agreed procedures.
In addition, the kingdom thanked the countries and authorities that helped the three men in transit. According to the statement, this cooperation made their journeys smooth and orderly. The government also said it remains committed to protecting the rights, dignity and wellbeing of the deportees. At the same time, it vowed to safeguard the security of the kingdom and its people.
The statement follows a report by Swaziland News earlier on Wednesday. The outlet claimed that Eswatini was quietly releasing US deportees at night. It said the men were crossing into South Africa illegally. It also claimed that the kingdom secretly freed the Laotian man and let him catch a flight in Johannesburg.
Soon after, Dirco’s Clayson Monyela responded to posts about the claim on X. He said Eswatini had issued a statement that set out the facts. He also pointed users to a community note attached to the story.
The Laotian man is Phone Chomsavanh. He spent more than 14 months in the Matsapha Correctional Complex before his release. His US based lawyer, Tin Thanh Nguyen, spoke earlier this week. He said Chomsavanh landed in Johannesburg on his way back to Laos.
Eswatini signed its deal with Washington in May 2025. Under the agreement, the US pays the kingdom 5.1 million US dollars. In return, Eswatini hosts up to 160 deportees with final deportation orders. So far, the kingdom has taken in around 30 deportees. It maintains that they stay only for a short time before going home.
The government says it will keep giving updates on any major developments involving deportees. However, the original claim had already sparked anger online. Commentary across social media platforms described Eswatini as a security risk. Many users also said they had expected deportees to end up in South Africa.