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The United States has deported five foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes to Eswatini, a small southern African kingdom ruled by Africa’s last absolute monarch. The deportees, from Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos, were flown to the country under a third-country deportation agreement after their home countries refused to take them back.
Eswatini confirmed it had received the men and said they are being held in isolation at correctional facilities while arrangements are made for their eventual return to their countries of origin.
US Homeland Security Department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the deportees were “criminal illegal aliens” convicted of crimes including child rape and murder.
Describing them as “uniquely barbaric” and “depraved monsters,” McLaughlin said on X that their original home countries had declined to accept them, necessitating third-country relocation.
“A safe third country deportation flight to Eswatini in Southern Africa has landed,” she posted. “They are off of American soil.”
According to the BBC, McLaughlin also stated that the deportations were part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to ensure that people who terrorised American communities are removed.
Eswatini authorities have sought to soothe public concern over the arrival of the prisoners. Government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli said the men are being kept in secure, isolated units designed for offenders of a similar nature.
“The nation is assured that these inmates pose no threat to the country or its citizens,” Mdluli said in a statement. She added that Eswatini would work with the United Nations’ immigration agency to facilitate the eventual transfer of the deportees to their respective home countries.
The government did not confirm whether any financial incentives were involved in the arrangement. However, analysts suggest that maintaining good relations with the US may have influenced the decision.
Formerly known as Swaziland, Eswatini changed its name in 2018 to reflect its pre-colonial identity. It remains one of the few countries in the world, and the only one in Africa, governed by an absolute monarch. King Mswati III, who has ruled since 1986, holds full control of government functions and rules by decree.
Political parties are banned from participating in the electoral process, and public office aspirants must stand as individuals with approval from traditional leaders. While some opposition movements exist, they operate as civic groups with limited influence.
Protests calling for democratic reforms have grown in recent years, but the government has been widely accused of using security forces to suppress dissent. Many pro-democracy activists now live in exile.
Despite its small size, Eswatini faces immense social and economic challenges. According to the World Bank, over half of its 1.2 million population lives on less than $4 a day. The country also has the world’s highest HIV prevalence rate, with roughly 26% of adults living with the virus.
Though it has made notable strides in its HIV response, largely with international support, the Trump administration previously cut its US funding, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of those gains.
The deportation to Eswatini is part of a wider US strategy under President Trump to expand third-country deportations. Earlier this month, the US sent eight deportees to South Sudan — only one of whom was from that country — after legal restrictions were lifted.
Other nations reportedly approached for similar deals include Rwanda, Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Moldova, according to BBC. While some, like Nigeria, have pushed back against US pressure to accept such transfers, others have entered into talks.
(With inputs from AP, BBC)
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