South Sudanese authorities confirmed on Tuesday that eight men deported from the United States were now in the custody of the government of the African country.
Apuk Ayuel, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, told reporters that the eight arrived at Juba International Airport on Saturday following “standard deportation procedures undertaken" by the U.S. government.
The men are “under the care of the relevant authorities who are screening them and ensuring their safety and well-being,” she said, without specifying where they are held.
U.S. authorities said on Friday that the eight men deported in May and held for weeks at an American military base in Djibouti arrived in South Sudan after the Supreme Court cleared the way for their transfer.
The men — from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam and South Sudan are part of a case that had gone to the Supreme Court, which had permitted their removal from the U.S. Administration officials said the men had been convicted of violent crimes in the U.S.
The deportations have raised safety and other concerns among some in this country.
“South Sudan is not a dumping ground for criminals,” said Edmund Yakani, a prominent civic leader in the country.
South Sudan’s government has struggled since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011 to deliver many of the basic services. Years of conflict have left the country heavily reliant on aid that has been hit hard by sweeping cuts in U.S. foreign assistance.
Economic hardship has deepened in recent months because of declining oil revenues, with crude exports to Port Sudan affected by civil war in the neighboring country.
