Eswatini’s government has confirmed it will take in 11 additional migrants deported from the United States later this month, as part of President Donald Trump’s toughened immigration enforcement campaign. The government said the arrivals will be kept in secure facilities while officials coordinate their return to their home countries.
This follows a similar July operation that saw deportees from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen transferred to Eswatini under a US deal. Washington claims these individuals were “so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,” according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.
The arrangement has sparked backlash at home, with human-rights activists filing a lawsuit challenging the legality of accepting non-nationals without parliamentary approval. They argue the deal undermines Eswatini’s sovereignty and poses potential diplomatic risks.
Despite the controversy, Eswatini insists the deportees pose no public threat and that the government’s actions comply with international humanitarian standards. Officials maintain the country is cooperating with global partners to ensure humane treatment while repatriation plans are underway.
The move highlights a growing trend of African nations partnering with the US in its third-country deportation policy. Ghana, for instance, recently received African migrants under similar terms. While critics warn the policy unfairly shifts America’s immigration burden, supporters argue it strengthens border security and relieves pressure on US detention systems.
