MBABANE – Government has confirmed plans to repatriate five foreign inmates deported to Eswatini by the United States after their home countries allegedly refused to take them back.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Wednesday after public concern mounted over the arrival of the deportees, who arrived in the country earlier this week. The five men are nationals of Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba.
American officials claimed the men had served sentences for serious crimes in the United States and were removed after their countries of origin refused to accept them. Their transfer marked the first recorded case of third-country deportations to Eswatini since a recent ruling by the United States Supreme Court permitted the controversial practice.
Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin said on Tuesday that the removal flight was part of a strategy to deport individuals whose governments declined their return.
Eswatini authorities have since clarified that the deportees will not remain in the country but will be sent to their respective countries of origin in coordination with the United States government.
“The governments of Eswatini and the United States, along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), will facilitate the safe transit of these inmates to their countries of origin,” government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli announced on Wednesday.
However, the IOM distanced itself from the initial transfer from the United States, saying it was not involved and had not been requested to assist.
Political groups in Eswatini criticised the government’s decision to accept the deportees. Lioness Sibande, secretary general of the Swaziland Peoples Liberation Movement, described the move as “disrespectful,” accusing Western countries of treating Africa like a dumping ground.
Authorities have placed the five men in isolation at local correctional facilities, citing security protocols. Mdluli maintained that a thorough risk assessment was conducted before the prisoners’ arrival, assuring the public that the inmates pose no danger to Eswatini citizens.
Government officials declined to disclose what Eswatini received in exchange for accepting the deportees, stating that details of the agreement with Washington remain confidential.
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