By Our Correspondent
Eight South Sudanese men deported from the United States arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) early Wednesday morning, Kenya Airports Police Unit (KAPU) confirmed.
According to a report filed at the JKIA Police Station at 8:30 a.m., the U.S.-chartered aircraft carrying the deportees touched down at 7:00 a.m. under escort by United States security officers.
Upon arrival, the men were received and processed by the Airport Multi‑Agency Team before being transferred at 8:10 a.m. to a Jubba Airways aircraft for onward evacuation to South Sudan. Police said the operation proceeded smoothly under tight security, with no incidents reported.
The deportation forms part of a larger, controversial U.S. program to return certain individuals to third countries. Earlier this year, the eight men were removed from the United States after a prolonged legal battle over the legality of sending non-South Sudanese nationals, including individuals from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar and Vietnam, to South Sudan.
A federal court initially blocked the deportations, citing concerns over due process and potential harm to the individuals, but the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately allowed the removals to proceed.
Rights groups have criticized the deportations, pointing to South Sudan’s ongoing political instability and humanitarian crises. They argue that sending individuals to a country where they could face danger violates international legal norms, including protections against arbitrary detention and torture.
The deportees’ transit through Kenya highlights the role of regional hubs like JKIA in international deportation logistics. Kenya has previously served as a waypoint for similar flights, including the arrival of Kenyan nationals deported from the U.S. earlier this year.
South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the deportees were being processed according to national procedures, while international organizations continue to monitor the situation closely.
The operation underscores growing global tensions around third-country deportations, with critics emphasizing the human rights implications for those returned to countries with fragile governance and conflict histories.