The United States has confirmed the deportation of five foreign nationals convicted of violent crimes to the Kingdom of Eswatini, under a broadened deportation framework approved by the Trump administration.
The individuals originally from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen were convicted of offences ranging from child rape to murder.
According to US Homeland Security Department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, their countries of origin had previously declined to receive them.
“This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,” McLaughlin stated in a post on X further describing the deportees as “depraved monsters” who had terrorized American communities.
The deportation flight to Eswatini marks a significant milestone, as it is the first publicly confirmed instance of the US returning migrants to the southern African kingdom.
Eswatini, which has not yet commented on the development, was previously named in media reports as a potential recipient of third-country deportees.
This development follows a recent ruling by the US Supreme Court that permits deportations to countries with no prior ties to the individuals. The new policy has also seen deportations to South Sudan, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.
South Sudan authorities recently accepted eight deportees, only one of whom is a national, under civilian supervision in Juba.
Meanwhile, several other nations, including Rwanda, Angola, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, and Moldova, have been mentioned in media reports as possible future partners in the third-country deportation scheme.
Despite growing international criticism, the Trump administration has intensified its immigration enforcement efforts, targeting not only undocumented migrants but also legal residents on temporary visas, student permits, and other protections extended by previous administrations.
Last week, Nigeria firmly rejected calls to accept Venezuelan deportees or third-country migrants from the United States, stating that the country already faces significant domestic challenges.
Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, remains Africa’s last absolute monarchy under the rule of King Mswati III and is bordered by South Africa and Mozambique.
