Eswatini received a fourth deportation batch from the United States, marking the third group of third-country nationals deported under secretive U.S. arrangements with several African nations.

Since July, the U.S. has sent at least 19 people in three batches to Eswatini as part of a hard-line immigration approach, with the first group including five men and one Jamaican national subsequently repatriated.

Other countries, including Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan, have also accepted U.S. deportees under similar arrangements.

Authorities say detainees are held only while arrangements for repatriation are made, but lawyers and civil society groups question detention, arguing people can be held indefinitely without charges.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the incident.

A high court in Eswatini recently dismissed a human rights case challenging these deportations, though the case has been appealed.

A Cambodian man, Pheap Rom, from an earlier group was due for repatriation after another man was sent back to Jamaica as part of ongoing deportations.

A lawyer indicated that Pheap Rom was expected to be repatriated among the earlier group, following the departure of another man to Jamaica last year.

The U.S. argues these deportations involve convicted criminals with deportation orders, while rights groups protest the secrecy and scope of such arrangements.

Rights groups and protesters criticize these deportations over migrants’ rights and transparency.

The latest arrivals comprise two Somalis, a Tanzanian, and a Sudanese, landing at Matsapha Maximum-Security Correctional Centre and undergoing orientation in good health.

A congressional inquiry found the U.S. paid more than $32 million to five countries to accept about 300 deportees, raising transparency and human rights concerns.