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The United States has deported 10 people to Eswatini, defying efforts by human rights groups in the southern African nation to block the plan through the courts.
This marks the second group of deportees sent by the Trump administration under its hard-line immigration policy.
Eswatini’s prison department confirmed on Sunday that the arrivals had been “securely accommodated” and posed “no threat to the public.”
Human rights lawyer Mzwandile Masuku said he was “shocked and dismayed” that the government had accepted the group despite an ongoing court case challenging the earlier arrival of five deportees in July.
The US previously described that first group — from Jamaica, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen — as “depraved monsters.” One of them, a Jamaican man, has since been repatriated to his home country, while two others are expected to follow soon, according to Eswatini officials.
In its statement, the Eswatini government said it had agreed to take in 11 deportees under a cooperation deal with the US but did not explain why only 10 had arrived. The identities of those deported have not been made public.
The deal between the two countries, revealed by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in September, allows Eswatini to accept up to 160 deportees in exchange for $5.1 million (£3.79m) to strengthen its “border and migration management capacity.”
Civil society groups, led by the Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC), argue the agreement is unconstitutional, saying such international deals require parliamentary approval. They accuse the government of “executive overreach” and “democratic regression” in a country where King Mswati III maintains tight control over state affairs.
“We would have expected this milestone to reflect a maturation of our democracy — stronger rule of law, greater accountability, and clearer separation of powers,” said SALC’s Melusi Simelane.
The Eswatini government insists it acted within its powers, saying the constitution permits such agreements with foreign governments. Prime Minister Russell Dlamini told parliament the arrangement had been handled at “top clearance level.”
The deportations have also raised concern in neighbouring South Africa, which fears some of those sent to Eswatini could cross its porous borders.
Government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli said the deportees were being held in a “secured area separate from the public” and “in solitary confinement.”
The arrivals come just a day before a court in Mbabane is due to resume hearings on the legality of the deportations.
Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is a small, landlocked nation surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. It has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986.
