The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Saturday clarified that no Filipino national was among the 10 foreign nationals deported by the United States to the southern African country of Eswatini earlier this week.

In a statement, the Embassy said it had verified the matter with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and confirmed that “no Filipino citizen has been involved in any third-country deportation from the United States.”

The clarification comes after media reports cited a US immigration lawyer representing two Vietnamese nationals who claimed the deported group included “three Vietnamese, one Filipino, one Cambodian, and four to six others.”

According to the Embassy, one individual initially identified as Filipino was ultimately found not to have established Philippine citizenship and therefore could not be deported to the Philippines.

“The Embassy continues to engage with relevant US authorities to ensure the well-being of its citizens in the United States and maintains its readiness to receive all Filipino citizens under final orders of removal,” the statement added.

The government of Eswatini confirmed earlier that 10 foreign nationals had arrived in the kingdom on Monday. The group is currently being held “in a secured area separate from the public, while arrangements are made for their return to their countries of origin,” Eswatini officials said.