In July 2025, Eswatini accepted five deportees from the United States under a secretive third-country agreement. The arrangement followed several months of quiet negotiations between US Homeland Security and Eswatini’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Although officials have not confirmed the exact signing date or location, the deportations began around 16 July 2025.
On 16 July 2025, acting government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli publicly defended the decision, stating that it was based on Eswatini’s sovereignty and its longstanding diplomatic relations with the United States; however, she did not disclose the terms of the agreement.
According to media reports from Reuters and Al Jazeera, the United States paid for the incarceration costs of the deportees. Human rights organisations, opposition parties, and civil society leaders have criticised the government for lack of transparency.
Despite mounting pressure, Eswatini has not released the full details of the arrangement. Calls for accountability continue as citizens demand clarity on why the country agreed to host third-country deportees.
US PUSHED FOR THIRD-COUNTRY DEALS
The U.S. government has deported five individuals to Eswatini. This move forms part of President Donald Trump’s revived third-country deportation policy.
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the policy to resume in late June 2025. Since then, deportations have restarted. Eswatini is now the second African country to accept deportees under this framework. Previously, eight men were deported to South Sudan.
US officials state that violent criminals were deported. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin explained that the United States sent the individuals to Eswatini because their home countries refused to accept them.
US officials described the deportees as “uniquely barbaric criminals,” a characterisation that sparked strong condemnation from human rights groups and Eswatini’s main opposition party.
The People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Eswatini’s main opposition party, labelled the agreement “human trafficking disguised as a deportation deal. They argue the government’s secrecy undermines public trust. Many are demanding full clarity about the terms of the agreement.
ECONOMIC INCENTIVES AND GEOPOLITICAL STRATEGY
News reports from early April 2025 confirm that the U.S. government announced a 10% tariff on all imports, which included goods from Eswatini. Furthermore, Eswatini’s Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Trade, Mancoba Khumalo, issued a press statement stating that the new tariffs would negatively impact local exporters.
The deportation of the criminals to Eswatini follows the U.S. third-country deportation policy. In addition, the Eswatini government confirmed that it is holding the individuals in isolation at a correctional facility after their arrival. The full terms of the agreement remain undisclosed.
PUBLIC OUTCRY AND DEMANDS FOR TRANSPARENCY
The agreement’s classified nature has triggered public backlash. On 27 July 2025, the Eswatini Women’s Movement protested outside the US Embassy, calling the deal “undemocratic and opaque.”
Civil society organisations have since demanded a full release of the agreement’s terms. Additionally, the opposition party, PUDEMO, warned that the transfer could undermine regional security and called for urgent parliamentary oversight.
Eswatini officials initially indicated that the deportees would be repatriated “in due course.” However, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has denied involvement in the process and confirmed it has not been consulted regarding their repatriation.
SHOULD ESWATINI DECLASSIFY THE US DEPORTEES DEAL?
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