Wayne Lumbasi
The Kingdom of Eswatini has received a third batch of migrants deported by the United States, as part of a controversial immigration arrangement that involves relocating migrants to third countries while arrangements are made for their eventual return to their home nations.
Eswatini’s government confirmed that the latest group of deportees arrived this week and includes four migrants – two nationals of Somalia, one from Sudan and one from Tanzania. Authorities said the individuals will remain in the southern African kingdom temporarily while diplomatic processes continue to facilitate their repatriation.
The arrival marks the third group of migrants transferred from the United States to Eswatini, bringing the total number of deportees sent to the country under the arrangement to nearly twenty since the program began. The policy forms part of a broader strategy by the United States to deport migrants whose home countries either delay or refuse to accept them back.
Under the initiative, the United States has sought cooperation with several countries willing to host migrants who are not their citizens for a limited period. Countries that have been approached or linked to discussions on accepting deportees include Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan.
The arrangement has raised a number of legal, humanitarian and diplomatic questions. One key concern is the relocation of migrants to countries where they have no prior ties, sometimes thousands of kilometres away from their homes. Human rights organisations have also raised concerns about the legal status of deportees during the period they remain in third countries and whether they are able to access legal representation or asylum protections.
Another issue revolves around the detention and accommodation of deportees. In some cases, migrants sent to Eswatini have reportedly been held in correctional facilities while awaiting negotiations between their home governments and Eswatini authorities regarding their return. This has prompted debate about whether deportees should be held in detention despite not having committed crimes in the host country.
Financial arrangements linked to the program have also attracted scrutiny. Reports indicate that the United States has provided financial support to countries participating in the arrangement to assist with hosting migrants temporarily, raising questions about whether economic incentives are influencing migration management decisions.
For Eswatini, the cooperation reflects its involvement in broader international efforts to address complex migration challenges. The government has said the migrants are being treated in accordance with national law and international obligations, and that the stay of deportees in the country is intended to be temporary until travel documents and diplomatic agreements are finalized with their home governments.
The program highlights the growing pressure faced by the United States in managing deportation cases involving migrants whose countries of origin are slow to accept repatriation. At the same time, it underscores the increasingly global nature of migration management, where third-country arrangements are becoming part of the toolkit used by governments to resolve difficult deportation cases.
The arrival of the third batch of deportees in Eswatini is likely to continue fueling debate over the legality, ethics and long-term implications of transferring migrants to countries where they have no established links, even as governments involved argue that such measures are necessary to resolve complicated immigration cases.
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