The US has deported ten individuals to Eswatini despite a legal challenge mounted by rights groups in the southern African nation. This marks the second group of deportees sent under the Trump administration's stringent immigration policies.
The deportees arrived under the assurance that they would be securely accommodated and pose no threat to the public, according to a statement from Eswatini's prison department.
Earlier in July, Eswatini accepted another five deportees described by the US government as 'depraved monsters.' Since their arrival, one deportee has returned to Jamaica, with others awaiting repatriation to their respective countries.
On Sunday, Eswatini's government revealed it had agreed to accept eleven deportees, in line with an agreement to cooperate with the US. However, only ten have been confirmed on arrival, and their identities have not been disclosed.
This arrival coincided with a court case against the deportations, where civil society groups, including the Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC), argued that the government's actions represented an 'executive overreach' and lacked necessary parliamentary consent, a requirement outlined in Eswatini's constitution.
The government's defense asserts it acted within constitutional bounds, stressing that such agreements with foreign nations are permitted.
Concerns about national security have also been raised by neighboring South Africa, fearing that deportees may cross the porous border. In response, Eswatini's government reassured the public that deportees are held in a secure facility, isolated from the general populace.
Eswatini, historically known as Swaziland, is a landlocked nation bordered by South Africa and Mozambique and has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. The ongoing situation highlights tensions between immigration policy and local governance in a country struggling with democratic principles.
