US Deportees Held in Solitary in Eswatini Under Third-Country Policy

The United States, under President Donald Trump’s administration, has expanded its controversial third-country deportation program by sending five convicted criminals to Eswatini, a small African nation. These men, citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen, and Laos, were convicted of serious crimes such as murder and child rape, and were described by the Department of Homeland Security as “uniquely barbaric” and rejected by their home countries. The detainees are reportedly held in solitary confinement in Eswatini, though the government has not disclosed specific locations or detailed plans for their repatriation, which would require coordination with a United Nations agency. This move follows similar deportations to South Sudan, another African country used as a holding ground for individuals whose home countries refuse to accept them. The secretive nature of these deportations and lack of transparency from Eswatini’s government, which has been criticized for its poor human rights record and authoritarian rule, has raised concerns among local civic groups and international observers. The Trump administration continues to seek additional agreements with African nations to accept deportees, despite some pushback, such as Nigeria rejecting pressure to take in individuals who are not its citizens.