Two Jamaican nationals who were deported by the United States to the southern African nation of Eswatini have declined an offer from the Jamaican Government to facilitate their return home, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
The ministry confirmed that officials made direct contact with both men after they were transferred to Eswatini under the United States’ third-country deportation programme. While Jamaica offered consular assistance and arrangements for their repatriation, the men reportedly chose not to return to the island at this time. Officials have not disclosed the reasons for their decision, citing privacy considerations.
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The two men became the focus of international attention after they were removed from the United States and sent to Eswatini rather than Jamaica, despite being Jamaican citizens. Their deportations formed part of a broader U.S. immigration policy that allows certain migrants to be removed to third countries when other legal or diplomatic circumstances prevent direct repatriation. The policy has drawn criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that deportees should generally be returned to their countries of nationality whenever possible.
Jamaican authorities emphasized that they remain committed to assisting nationals overseas and will continue to provide consular support should either individual decide to return in the future. The ministry also reaffirmed that it has been monitoring the welfare of Jamaican citizens affected by third-country deportations and remains in communication with relevant international partners.
The case has intensified debate over the United States’ expanding use of third-country deportation agreements, which have seen migrants transferred to countries with which they have no personal or family ties. The issue has also sparked wider discussions in Jamaica about migration policy, consular protection and the treatment of Caribbean nationals under evolving U.S. immigration enforcement measures.
