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A Man Forcibly Returned to South Sudan Finds His Way Home to Vietnam

A chapter closes in a contentious U.S. immigration policy as Tuan Thanh Phan, a Vietnamese national forcibly returned from America last year, boarded a flight to Hanoi on Friday. His departure marks the end of an unconventional—and controversial—approach under which Washington sent foreign nationals with past convictions to distant third countries, often far removed from their lives.

Under this policy, the U.S. transferred at least eight individuals to South Sudan alone during the previous administration, a move that drew sharp condemnation from human rights organizations worldwide.

A Journey of Separation and Reunion

At Juba’s airport, moments before his flight, Phan addressed reporters with a single, poignant hope: reuniting with his family after years apart. His brief statement revealed little else—only that he had spent over two decades incarcerated in the U.S. before his sudden deportation. The circumstances of his case remain undisclosed.

South Sudanese officials confirmed that the transfer was coordinated jointly between their government and Vietnam’s, hinting at a level of diplomatic collaboration beyond standard deportation procedures.