- The Trump administration recently deported five convicted criminals—from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen—to Eswatini, under a controversial third‑country deportation policy permitted by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling .
Eswatini’s acting government spokesperson, Thabile Mdluli, confirmed that the individuals are currently being housed in isolated units within the country’s correctional system. She emphasized that they pose no threat to public safety and that their continued stay is temporary .
Crucially, Eswatini stated it will not function as a permanent host. Instead, the government has committed to collaborating with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to arrange eventual repatriation of the deportees to their respective countries of origin . Eswatini’s government described the arrangement as the outcome of months of high-level negotiations with the U.S., asserting that all normal diplomatic protocols and risk assessments were followed .
Eswatini, Africa’s last absolute monarchy under King Mswati III, received the individuals under caution due to the country’s history of human rights concerns, including political repression and poor prison conditions .
Credit: Africanews
