The arrival of five men—including a Jamaican national—deported by the United States to the small African kingdom of Eswatini has ignited public outrage and mounting questions about the legality and transparency of America’s increasingly aggressive immigration policies.
The men—also from Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba—were flown into Eswatini’s capital, Mbabane, aboard a U.S. military aircraft on July 16, following their designation by U.S. authorities as “criminal illegal aliens.” According to the Department of Homeland Security, their crimes were “so uniquely barbaric” that their home countries refused to repatriate them.
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The government of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, confirmed the men’s presence but insisted they would not remain indefinitely. “They will be repatriated in due course to their different countries,” said government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli.
That assurance has done little to allay a wave of criticism and civic unrest. Human rights advocates, legal scholars, and citizens have raised serious concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the deportation arrangement—particularly Eswatini’s legal basis for accepting the men.
On Friday, over 150 women staged a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Mbabane, led by the Eswatini Women’s Movement, demanding that the men be returned to the United States. Protesters also questioned whether this operation marked the beginning of a broader policy of U.S. “third-country deportations” into Africa.
The five deportees are currently held at Matsapha Correctional Centre, located 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Mbabane. Known for overcrowding and its history of housing political detainees, the prison has undergone renovations since 2018—reportedly with funding from the United States under a program covering all 14 of Eswatini’s penal facilities.
Prison officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed the men are held in solitary confinement within a high-security section. While they have access to medical care, showers, toilets, meals, and even televisions, requests to make phone calls have so far been denied.
Eswatini’s Prime Minister Russell Dlamini has rejected calls from lawmakers and civil society for greater transparency, stating: “Not every decision or agreement is supposed to be publicly shared.”
This marks Eswatini as the second African nation to receive deportees under this controversial program, following South Sudan, which accepted eight individuals earlier this month.
Observers fear the implications could be significant for Eswatini, a country ruled under the absolute monarchy of King Mswati III, who has faced international criticism for alleged human rights violations and extravagant personal spending. The nation also struggles with economic stagnation and declining trade prospects—further exacerbated by U.S. tariffs.
While Eswatini currently faces a baseline 10 percent U.S. tariff—less than the 30 percent applied to neighboring South Africa—officials warn the levies could harm the country’s already fragile economy. Some speculate the U.S. may be leveraging its trade position to pressure smaller nations into accepting deportees.
The administration of President Donald Trump has made mass deportations a core policy priority, with federal agencies instructed to identify alternatives when home countries refuse to accept nationals designated for removal. The use of third-party countries in these deportations, critics argue, may violate international human rights law by exposing individuals to potential torture, abduction, or other abuses in unfamiliar or unstable environments.
As calls for accountability grow louder, the situation in Eswatini underscores the ethical and legal challenges of America’s deportation machinery—raising difficult questions about sovereignty, human rights, and the real cost of border enforcement.
