The government of Eswatini has confirmed that ten foreign nationals deported from the United States have been detained in one of its correctional facilities. Officials declined to disclose further details about the individuals but assured that they have been securely accommodated and that arrangements for their orderly repatriation are underway.
This development makes Eswatini one of several African nations that have recently entered agreements with the Trump administration to receive third-country nationals deported from the United States.
In July, Eswatini became the second African country after South Sudan to accept such deportees. The group reportedly includes men from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba, many of whom face charges ranging from rape to murder. They have been placed at the Matsapha Maximum Security Correctional Centre.
Other African nations have entered similar arrangements. In August, Uganda’s Foreign Ministry announced it would accept migrants deported from the U.S., provided they had no criminal record and were not unaccompanied minors. Rwanda also confirmed a comparable deal that same month. Earlier this year, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama stated that his country had begun receiving West Africans expelled from the United States.
Legal Challenges and Human Rights Concerns
The move has sparked legal and human rights controversies within Eswatini. Local lawyers and civil society organizations have filed court challenges questioning the legality of the detentions and demanding transparency regarding the agreement between Eswatini and Washington.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the U.S.–Eswatini agreement includes financial support of approximately €5 million (US$4.2 million) aimed at strengthening Eswatini’s border and migration management systems. In exchange, Eswatini reportedly agreed to accept up to 160 deportees.
HRW and other advocacy groups have called on African governments to reject such deals, arguing that they breach international human rights laws and place vulnerable individuals at risk of persecution or torture.
A Broader U.S. Deportation Strategy
The Trump administration has expanded its deportation strategy to send individuals to countries other than their own — a policy critics say contravenes international protections for asylum seekers. Hundreds of deportees have reportedly been sent to El Salvador and Panama, with some removals carried out despite ongoing asylum claims or court orders halting flights.
At a campaign rally in Arizona ahead of the U.S. presidential election, former President Trump defended his immigration stance, sharply criticizing his predecessor Joe Biden’s policies. “We’re a dumping ground — a garbage can for the world,” Trump said, insisting his administration’s approach was necessary to restore order to U.S. immigration.
Human rights groups, however, warn that these deportations risk sending people to countries where they face serious harm — including torture, imprisonment, or enforced disappearance.
Source: ModernGhana
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