Eswatini’s Supreme Court has ruled that four men deported from the United States have the right to meet and consult with a local lawyer after being held without in-person legal access for months.
The men, who are from Cambodia, Cuba, Vietnam, and Yemen, were deported to Eswatini in July despite having no connection to the country. Their deportation was part of a wider US policy under the Trump administration aimed at increasing removals of convicted foreign nationals.
The men have been held in a maximum-security prison, where they were reportedly denied face-to-face access to legal counsel for around nine months. While authorities allowed phone communication with their US-based lawyers, in-person meetings with a local attorney were blocked.
The court rejected the government’s argument that the detainees had shown no interest in meeting a local human rights lawyer, stating that there would be no harm in allowing access. The judges ruled that it should ultimately be up to the detainees themselves to decide whether they wish to meet the lawyer.
The judgment stated that denying access to legal representation raised concerns about basic rights, and emphasized that detainees must be given the opportunity to make their own decisions regarding legal support.
The case forms part of a broader controversial deportation programme in which the United States has sent individuals to third countries where they do not hold citizenship. Similar deportations have also taken place to countries including Ghana, South Sudan, and Uganda.
Human rights advocates have criticized the practice, arguing that it raises serious legal and ethical concerns regarding detention conditions and due process rights.
The US Department of Homeland Security has defended the policy, stating that the deportations are lawful and part of efforts to remove individuals described as “criminal illegal aliens” under existing immigration enforcement measures.
The case in Eswatini continues to draw international attention amid growing debate over third-country deportations and detainee rights.
