Government has assured that the rights and human dignity of third-country nationals received from the United States are upheld.
This is despite the recent statements made by Cambodian deportee and former convict Pheap Rom, that he faced very difficult conditions while kept at Matsapha Correctional Centre.
The 43-year-old left the kingdom three weeks ago after spending five months as one of 19 third-country nationals who have been in the kingdom since October last year.
However, after his successful repatriation back to his home country, Cambodia, Rom, when interviewed on France 24 – a global news channel based in France – had a grim description of his time in Eswatini.
He claimed that for the first two months at the Matsapha Correctional Centre, he and fellow deportees “went through misery” and were allowed outdoors for only 15 minutes a day and given one weekly phone call.
“We had an attorney there who was willing to try to come and talk to us, but they weren’t letting that attorney in,” he claimed on the news channel.
Acting Government Spokesperson, Thabile Mdluli clarified government’s stance. She said every reasonable effort, in accordance with national laws and international obligations, was made to ensure that Rom and other third-country nationals were accommodated in conditions that respect their fundamental rights and human dignity.
“Eswatini remains committed to upholding the dignity, safety and well-being of all individuals within its borders,” she stressed.
Rom is the second deportee to be repatriated from the country, following Orville Isaac Etoria, a Jamaican who was returned to his home country late last year.
In the interview with France 24, Rom goes on to say that when he left the States, he expected to be sent to Cambodia, but then landed in Eswatini. Being sent to Matsapha Correctional facility felt to him as if the clock was being turned backwards to his prison term while in the United States.
RELATED | ‘We still deserve due process,’ says Cambodian man deported by US to Eswatini
The news channel states that the staff in Matsapha seemed unaware that he and some of the third-country nationals had already served their time in the States. They were looked at as if they were criminals because of what the (US) administration was portraying them to be.
According to France 24, Rom’s case is unique because he had lived in the United States for most of his life. His family fled Cambodia during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, a violent regime responsible for widespread killings. He moved to the US in 1985 and had permanent resident status.
However, Rom later served a 15-year prison sentence in the United States after pleading guilty to attempted murder. He admitted to firing a gun during two separate disputes, injuring several people.
“I know what I did was wrong. I accepted my punishment,” he said.
After his release in November 2024, immigration authorities detained him and revoked his green card. An immigration judge ordered his deportation because of his criminal record.
Now back in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Rom was reported to be trying to rebuild his life. He said he is still adjusting to freedom after months of uncertainty and hardship.
Despite everything, he is said to be remaining hopeful about the future. He wants to find a job, reconnect with family members in the United States and start a new life in Cambodia.
“I want to create new memories here. This is my second chance in life,” he said.
The departure of the Cambodian and Jamaican brought down the number of remaining third-country nationals in Eswatini to 17.
Government, according to the communication department, is working closely with relevant international partners and countries of origin to ensure the orderly and humane repatriation of all affected individuals.
