Outrage has erupted among civil society and opposition groups in Eswatini following the deportation of five foreign nationals to the country by the United States. The country’s largest opposition party has labeled the move “a form of human trafficking masked as a deportation agreement.”

The individuals, who originated from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba, were flown into Eswatini last week. This occurred after the US ramped up deportations to other nations, known as “third countries,” following a Supreme Court decision that paved the way for such actions.

Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, is a small nation enclosed by South Africa and Mozambique, with a population of roughly 1.2 million. It remains the only absolute monarchy in Africa, governed by King Mswati III since 1986.

According to government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli, the five men are expected to be detained for around a year, although that period could vary. She noted that Eswatini is willing to accept more deportees, capacity permitting and based on further negotiations with the United States. The US has also deported eight individuals to South Sudan and more than 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador under similar circumstances.

Authorities claim the deported men, now held in solitary confinement, are securely imprisoned. However, the full details of the agreement remain undisclosed, aside from assurances that the US is covering detention costs and that efforts are underway to repatriate the men to their home countries with help from international organizations.

Numerous civil society groups and political leaders have voiced serious concerns. A coalition of seven women’s organizations stated that the move lacked transparency, community involvement, and legal clarity, raising fears for both the deported parties and the local population—particularly vulnerable groups such as women and girls.

On Monday, the group submitted a petition to the US Embassy demanding that the deported men be returned and that their human rights be honored. They also pushed back against the notion of Eswatini becoming a “dumping site for international issues.”

A protest outside the US Embassy followed on Friday, where demonstrators sang, danced, and carried signs bearing messages like “Whose taxpayers?”, “Eswatini is not a prison for US rejects”, and “Take the five criminals back to the US!!”

The opposition People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) released a statement harshly criticizing the government’s decision to accept the deportees. They described the move as a betrayal and accused the government of enabling “human trafficking under the guise of diplomacy.”

An alliance of non-governmental organizations echoed the sentiment, calling the situation “deeply troubling” and denouncing the language used by US officials as both stigmatizing and dehumanizing. They called for the full details of the agreement to be unveiled and for its suspension until comprehensive national discussions can take place.

Tricia McLaughlin, an official from the US Department of Homeland Security, stated on social media on July 16 that the deported men had been convicted of heinous crimes including child abuse, murder, and burglary. She noted that their home nations had refused to accept them, prompting the US to send them elsewhere. “They are no longer a threat on US soil,” she wrote.

Eswatini’s Prime Minister Russell Dlamini addressed the media, expressing confidence in the country’s capacity to manage the detainees. He pointed out that local prisons were already holding inmates convicted of serious offenses.

Baphelele Kunene from the national prison service reassured the public that there was no need for concern. He confirmed that the deported individuals were placed in a high-security facility and were adjusting well. “They receive no special treatment and are subject to the same rules, meals, and expectations as any other inmates,” he explained.

The most recent human rights report from the US State Department on Eswatini, published in 2023, documented credible reports of unlawful killings, torture, lack of judicial independence, and the presence of political detainees.

Although political parties cannot officially participate in elections—a system which proponents argue makes lawmakers more accountable—concerns around political freedoms persist. In September, Pudemo’s leader Mlungisi Makhanya was reportedly poisoned in South Africa in what was later described by the party as an attempted assassination, though Eswatini’s authorities have denied any involvement.

The US Department of Homeland Security has been approached for a statement.

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