🔥 Trending Eswatini Receives Deportees from the US Amidst Migration Crackdown

Eswatini, a small landlocked kingdom in Southern Africa, has recently accepted a fourth group of individuals deported from the United States under a bilateral agreement ¹²³. This agreement involves Eswatini hosting "third-country nationals" – individuals who are not citizens of either the U.S. or Eswatini ²³.

Recent Developments

On July 9, 2026, Eswatini received 11 people deported from the U.S. ¹²³⁴. The Eswatini government confirmed this, with acting government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli stating that the group, predominantly from other African countries, would stay in Eswatini temporarily ³⁴⁶⁸.

Background of the Agreement

This arrangement is part of a lesser-known pact that gained prominence during the Trump administration's immigration crackdowns ². The U.S. has been deporting non-citizen migrants to Eswatini as part of an externalized immigration policy ⁷. This policy allows the U.S. to send individuals to a third country if their home country refuses to accept them or if there are difficulties in deporting them directly ⁵.

Concerns and Controversies

The policy has drawn criticism, particularly because some of the deportees may have no direct ties to Eswatini ⁵. Reports indicate that at least two individuals in the latest group had active legal protections that, under normal circumstances, should have prevented their deportation ⁷. This raises questions about the due process and legal rights of those being deported under such agreements. The involvement of Eswatini in this policy highlights its growing, albeit controversial, role in international migration management ².