US deportee leaves Eswatini after more than a year in detention
A man deported by the United States to Eswatini has left the country after spending more than 14 months in detention, according to his lawyer.
Phone Chomsavanh, a Laotian national, was among five men transferred from the United States to Eswatini in July 2025.
The men had criminal convictions in the United States. However, they had completed their sentences before being transferred, according to the Associated Press.
Business Insider Africa reported that Chomsavanh left Eswatini on Sunday and travelled through Johannesburg on his way towards Laos.
Deportee leaves Eswatini after 14 months
Chomsavanh had been held at the Matsapha Correctional Complex.
His US-based lawyer, Tin Thanh Nguyen, confirmed his release and departure, according to the AP.
“He had already served his time,” Nguyen said.
The lawyer criticised the process that led to his transfer and detention.
“No notice, no hearing, no chance to object. That is not due process by any definition,” he said.
His comments represent his legal assessment. The available reporting does not establish that a court ordered Chomsavanh’s release.
His arrival in Laos had also not been confirmed at the time of the report.
Eswatini received $5.1 million under US deal
Eswatini agreed to accept third-country deportees from the United States under a wider migration agreement.
The arrangement was formalised through a memorandum signed in May 2025.
According to Amnesty International’s account of the published agreement, Eswatini agreed to accept up to 160 third-country nationals.
The United States provided $5.1 million under the agreement.
The funding was intended to strengthen Eswatini’s border and migration management capacity.
The payment covered the wider programme. It was not a payment specifically for Chomsavanh or any individual deportee.
Detention raised legal concerns
The arrangement has faced criticism over the detention of people transferred to Eswatini after completing their US prison sentences.
In April, Eswatini’s Supreme Court upheld an order allowing lawyers access to deportees held at Matsapha, according to Amnesty International.
However, the ruling concerned access to legal representation. It did not order Chomsavanh’s release.
Amnesty International has also called for authorities to explain the legal basis for continued detention and ensure detainees can challenge decisions concerning their removal.
Other deportees have left Eswatini
Chomsavanh is not the first person from the original group to leave the country.
Eswatini previously repatriated Jamaican national Orville Isaac Etoria in September 2025.
The US administration has defended third-country deportations as a way to remove people when their countries of origin cannot immediately receive them.
Chomsavanh’s departure ends more than a year of reported detention in Eswatini.
However, questions remain over the legal basis for his lengthy detention and the circumstances surrounding his eventual release.