Five men deported from the U.S. to Eswatini are currently held in solitary confinement with no set release date,.
This is according to Thabile Mdluli, a spokesperson for the Eswatini government.
The statement, made on Thursday, indicates the men will remain isolated until they can be returned to their home countries with support from the United Nations.
Local media suggest they are at the Matsapha Correctional Complex near Mbabane, which houses Eswatini’s top maximum-security prison.
However, Mdluli declined to confirm the facility, citing security reasons.
Background of the Deportees
The men, citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen, and Laos, were deported under a U.S. program targeting individuals convicted of serious crimes like murder and child rape, as stated by the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security. The agency labeled them “uniquely barbaric” and noted their home countries refused repatriation.
This contrasts with Eswatini’s plan to send them back, raising uncertainty about their future.
The U.S. has also deported eight men to South Sudan and hundreds to Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama, following a Supreme Court ruling that lifted restrictions on such moves.
Repatriation Challenges
Mdluli admitted there’s no clear timeline for the men’s return, depending on factors like UN involvement.
Eswatini expects the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to assist, but the IOM has clarified it has not been contacted and is not currently involved, though it’s open to helping under its humanitarian mandate.
This discrepancy fuels questions about how long the men might remain detained, especially given conflicting U.S. and Eswatini narratives.
Concerns Over Solitary Confinement
Prolonged solitary confinement raises serious health and ethical issues.
Penal Reform International warns it can lead to cognitive problems like depression, paranoia, and psychosis.
The organization also highlights that such isolation increases the risk of undetected torture or mistreatment and may itself be considered torture, particularly when indefinite.
With no end in sight, the men’s conditions in Eswatini’s prison system are under scrutiny.
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