‘I had never heard of Eswatini’: Deported by the US to a country that rejects them
Summary
Migrants who were convicted in U.S. courts have been deported to Eswatini, a small country in southern Africa, under a secret agreement made during President Donald Trump’s administration. These deportees are being held in Eswatini prisons, a country they did not know before deportation, which has caused local concern and protests.Key Facts
- Since 2025, 32 migrants convicted in the U.S. were flown to Eswatini and imprisoned there; the total planned deportees is about 160.
- Eswatini is Africa’s last absolute monarchy, ruled by King Mswati III, where protests are rare and often suppressed.
- The deportation deal was kept secret and only became known partly through South African media.
- Local residents, including protesting women, fear for their safety and want the deportees sent back to the U.S.
- The deportees come from various countries, like Vietnam, Yemen, Cuba, Ethiopia, and more, but all were convicted in the U.S.
- A local human rights lawyer won a court case to visit the deportees in prison but government appeals delayed access.
- The lawyer says many deportees have rehabilitation certificates and were not recently imprisoned in the U.S. when deported.
- Deportees feel abandoned in Eswatini, being held in prison for crimes they did not commit in that country.
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