A Lao man deported to Eswatini under the Trump administration’s controversial third-country deportation programme has been released after spending more than 14 months in detention.
Phone Chomsavanh left Eswatini for Laos via Johannesburg, according to his US-based lawyer.
Chomsavanh was among five men transferred to Eswatini in July 2025 as part of an agreement aimed at strengthening US immigration enforcement through the deportation of migrants to third countries.
Media reports said Chomsavanh was born in Thailand to parents who had fled Laos before eventually settling in the United States.
He had been convicted of a serious crime in the US and served his sentence before being deported to Eswatini.
His lawyer said Chomsavanh was detained in Eswatini without a hearing or an opportunity to legally challenge his transfer.
Under an agreement with Washington, Eswatini has agreed to accept up to 160 US deportees in a deal reportedly worth $5.1 million.
Eswatini is among several African countries that have entered into arrangements with the United States to receive deportees from third countries.
Human rights organisations have criticised the agreements, raising concerns about prolonged detention and the legal rights of people transferred under the deportation programme.
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