Cuban and Yemeni men deported to Eswatini, imprisoned without charges or legal access
Apr 10, 2026
Two migrants—one from Cuba and one from Yemen—were deported to Eswatini on July 16, 2025, as part of a group of five men sent to the country. Roberto Mosquera, the Cuban, was arrested by ICE at a routine immigration check-in in Florida on June 13, 2025, and deported without notice. Both men have been imprisoned in Eswatini's Matsapha Correctional Centre in isolation with no charges filed and initially no legal representation permitted. Their attorney states they have already served their U.S. sentences and are being held indefinitely while awaiting repatriation. In April 2026, after nine months of detention, Eswatini's Supreme Court ruled they have the right to meet with a local lawyer, a right previously denied. Civil society organizations have threatened legal action challenging the legality of their detention under Eswatini law.
Timeline
Sources
- english.elpais.com (archived)
- thirdcountrydeportationwatch.org (archived)
- americanimmigrationcouncil.org (archived)
- globalsecurity.org (archived)
- refugees.org (archived)
- foreign.senate.gov
- el-balad.com (archived)
- globalupfront.com (archived)
- thefappeningnewz.pages.dev (archived)
- france24.com (archived)
- southernafricalitigationcentre.org (archived)
- dailymaverick.co.za (archived)
- rfi.fr (archived)
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