The government of Eswatini has announced that it will receive 11 additional third-country nationals deported from the United States later this month, following the arrival of a first group of five deportees in July.
In a statement released on Sunday evening, the southern African nation said the new arrivals would be housed “in a secured area separate from the public, while arrangements are made for their return to their countries of origin.” However, officials did not disclose the exact date of their arrival.
The move is part of a wider US deportation effort under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to remove millions of immigrants living illegally in the country. Washington has increasingly sought agreements with third countries willing to temporarily receive deportees until their repatriation can be arranged.
The initial group sent to Eswatini earlier this year included nationals from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen. According to Eswatini’s government, one deportee — a Jamaican man — has already been repatriated with the cooperation of his home government, while two others are expected to be sent back soon.
Eswatini, a small, landlocked kingdom bordered by South Africa and Mozambique, has not made public the terms of its arrangement with the Trump administration. The deal has sparked domestic backlash, with local activists filing a lawsuit challenging its legality.
Human rights groups have also raised concerns over the treatment of the deportees, alleging that members of the first group were held in solitary confinement inside a prison facility.
As the kingdom prepares to receive the next group of migrants, questions remain over transparency, due process, and the welfare of those caught in the middle of a controversial deportation programme.
Melissa Enoch
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