JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — A Vietnamese national named Tuan Phan was repatriated to Vietnam on Friday after spending over a year in detention following his deportation from the United States to South Sudan under the Trump administration's controversial third-country deportation program. At 44 years old, Phan's return was announced by the South Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs during a press briefing.

According to spokesperson Agok Anyar, "We are grateful that while in our custody Mr. Phan was very disciplined, joyful, and importantly, he remained healthy." Phan and seven other men were originally sent to South Sudan in May 2025 but were rerouted to a U.S. military base in Djibouti after a federal judge blocked their deportation midflight, due to procedural irregularities. They eventually arrived in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, aboard a military aircraft in July 2025, after a Supreme Court ruling allowed for their removal.

All eight men had prior criminal convictions in the U.S. but had served their prison sentences before being taken into custody last year. As part of arrangements with the U.S., at least seven African countries, including South Sudan, have agreed to accept deportees who are not their own citizens, with the U.S. offering millions of dollars to these governments as compensation. According to the monitoring initiative Third Country Deportation Watch, over 180 people have been deported to these nations.

The selection of South Sudan as a receiving country has been criticized due to its poor human rights record, rampant corruption, and political instability. Reports from the United Nations indicate that armed conflict in South Sudan displaced more than half a million individuals in 2025 alone.

Tuan Phan is the second member of this deportee group to be repatriated; he follows Jesus Muñoz-Gutierrez, who was flown back to Mexico in September. Dian Peter Domach, the only South Sudanese national among the group, was released upon his arrival. The remaining individuals hail from Cuba, Myanmar, and Laos.

Phan immigrated to the United States as a child in 1991. Court records reveal that in 2000, shortly after turning eighteen, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for shooting and killing someone during a gang altercation. His removal from the U.S. was ordered in 2009, and he was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immediately after completing his prison term in March 2025.

In South Sudan, deportees like Phan were kept in a gated house under armed supervision. A U.S. Senate report indicates that a congressional aide was the first individual, aside from South Sudanese officials, to visit the detainees last year. Human Rights Watch senior counsel Michael Bochenek commented that the lack of independent visits raises significant concerns about the treatment and conditions of the detainees, questioning South Sudan's adherence to international human rights norms and necessary safeguards against abuse.

While the U.S. has made public certain details of agreements with other countries regarding the acceptance of deportees, the specific conditions of the arrangement with South Sudan remain unclear. State Department documents indicate that South Sudan made additional requests to the U.S. once it agreed to accept the men, including sanctions relief for a former high-ranking official and assistance in prosecuting a well-known opposition leader.

The financial compensation received by the South Sudanese government, as well as the full extent of the agreements made, have not been disclosed.