Eswatini Receives 4 More Third-Country Deportees from U.S.

Eswatini has received another group of migrants deported from the United States under a controversial third-country transfer program, underscoring Washington’s expanding strategy of relocating deportees to partner countries outside their states of origin.

The Eswatini government confirmed that four additional third-country deportees arrived Thursday, bringing the total number transferred from the United States to at least 19 individuals under an agreement with the southern African monarchy.

Officials said the latest arrivals included two nationals from Somalia, one from Sudan and one from Tanzania.

The deportations form part of a broader immigration crackdown under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has sought alternative destinations for migrants who cannot be returned directly to their countries of origin.

According to Eswatini’s government, the transfers are being carried out under a bilateral arrangement through which Washington paid the country $5.1 million to receive deportees.

“In line with this agreement, the nation has received another cohort of four third-country nationals from the United States,” the government said in a statement.

The kingdom of Eswatini is an absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III, and officials said deportees remain in custody while arrangements are made regarding their eventual repatriation.

Earlier deportees, who arrived in July last year, included nationals from Vietnam, Cuba, Laos and Yemen, illustrating the geographic scope of the policy.

A lawyer representing some members of that earlier group told Reuters that a Cambodian national, Pheap Rom, was expected to be repatriated soon. If confirmed, he would be the second deportee released from Eswatini, after another individual was sent back to Jamaica last year.

The program has faced legal scrutiny within Eswatini. Local human rights lawyers filed a case challenging the deportation deal, arguing that the arrangement lacked transparency and raised questions about the treatment of detainees.

However, Eswatini’s High Court dismissed the case last month, allowing the government to proceed with the agreement. Lawyers involved in the challenge have since filed an appeal.

Officials said discussions are continuing with the deportees’ home countries. “Intensive engagements with the respective countries of origin are ongoing,” the government statement said.

Despite completing prison sentences for crimes committed in the United States, the remaining deportees are still being held in Eswatini prisons, according to authorities.

The deportation transfers coincide with a broader tightening of immigration enforcement measures. In a January statement, the U.S. State Department said it had revoked more than 100,000 visas, including 8,000 student visas and 2,500 specialized visas, targeting individuals with encounters involving criminal activity.

“We will continue to deport these thugs to keep America safe,” the statement said.

These visa revocations form part of a wider policy shift aimed at strengthening enforcement across multiple immigration pathways, including visas, asylum cases and deportation programs.

The transfers to Eswatini are part of a larger network of third-country deportation arrangements negotiated by the United States.

A U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff report released in February 2026 estimated that the administration had spent at least $40 million relocating approximately 300 migrants to third countries across Africa, Central America and other regions.

Supporters of the policy argue it provides a practical mechanism for removing migrants whose home countries refuse to accept them or lack functioning diplomatic arrangements.

Critics, including human rights advocates and legal experts, say the strategy raises questions about accountability, detention conditions and the rights of deportees transferred to countries where they may have no prior ties.

As the program expands, agreements with smaller states such as Eswatini have drawn increasing attention from policymakers and migration researchers, who view them as a significant shift in how deportation enforcement is carried out across international borders.