Eswatini Accepts 11 More Deportees from the US Amid Global Migration Crackdown

MBABANE, Eswatini – The southern African kingdom of Eswatini has accepted a fourth group of people deported from the United States under a bilateral agreement to host third-country nationals. The 11 individuals, who predominantly hail from African countries, have arrived in the kingdom this week, according to the government.

Acting government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli confirmed that the group will remain in the kingdom temporarily while their rights are protected. Mdluli emphasized that the government has put measures in place to safeguard Eswatini’s security and that of its residents during their temporary stay.

“The government reaffirms that, during their temporary stay in the Kingdom, the fundamental rights of the third-country nationals will be respected and protected in accordance with the laws of the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Kingdom’s international obligations,” Mdluli stated in a government release.

Under a series of often-secret agreements, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has deported thousands of people to nearly two dozen countries that are not their own, advocates claim. The Trump administration’s third-country deportation program has drawn criticism from human rights groups over a lack of transparency and parliamentary oversight.

Human rights lawyer Mzwandile Masuku expressed concern that the continued transfers reflected weak institutional accountability and risked becoming normalized internationally. Masuku noted that only two deportees previously transferred to Eswatini have left the country, returning to Cambodia and Jamaica.

The Eswatini government has defended the agreement, stating it reflects the country’s humanitarian values while respecting its sovereignty and national laws. According to officials familiar with the arrangement, the latest arrivals are expected to be housed at Matsapha Maximum Security Prison.

Eswatini, a country of about 1.2 million people bordering South Africa, began accepting third-country nationals deported from the United States in 2025 under an agreement to host people who cannot be returned directly to their countries of origin. The latest arrivals are the fourth group received under the deal.

The Trump administration has also sent third-country deportees to the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Congo, among others on the continent, as it seeks destinations for migrants who cannot be repatriated directly.

The Eswatini government has not disclosed the terms of its agreement with Washington or released details about the deportees’ nationalities, legal status, or how long they are expected to remain in the country.

Under the Trump administration’s third-country deportation program, Eswatini has received multiple batches of U.S. deportees, making it one of the most prominent participants in Africa.