Eswatini confirms receiving $5.1m from the US for accepting deportees

November 18, 2025

The government of Eswatini has publicly confirmed receiving $5. 1 million from the Trump administration in exchange for accepting deportees from the United States, sparking significant controversy and human rights concerns. According to the finance minister, who claimed his ministry was kept uninformed during negotiations, the funds were designated for border and migration management capacity after the kingdom agreed to accept up to 160 deportees.

Who is affected

15 deportees from Jamaica, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen (with 14 still in Eswatini)
King Mswati III and the government of Eswatini
Eswatini's Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg and the finance ministry
Eswatini's National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA)
Human Rights Watch and other rights groups
Lawyers and civil society groups in Eswatini
Eswatini's prison department
South Africa (neighboring country)
The Trump administration and US government

What action is being taken

The Eswatini government is conducting "engagements" to repatriate the deportees to their countries of origin
Lawyers and civil society groups have instituted court action challenging the legality of the deportation deal
The government is defending itself in the court action
The deportees are being "securely accommodated" by Eswatini's prison department

Why it matters

This deal represents a controversial arrangement where a small African kingdom accepted payment to house deportees who have no connection to the country, raising significant human rights and sovereignty concerns. The situation highlights how the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies extended globally, with the US characterizing some deportees as "depraved monsters" while sending them to a nation ruled by an absolute monarch with a poor human rights record. The deal also creates regional security concerns, particularly for South Africa, which fears deportees could cross the porous border, and sets a precedent for other nations potentially accepting US deportees for financial compensation.

What's next

All remaining deportees will eventually be repatriated to their countries of origin, according to government spokeswoman Thabile Mdluli
Any decision to accept more deportees will depend on "engagements" with the US government and "capacity availability"
The $5.1 million payment needs to be regularized by the government before the NDMA can use it
The court action challenging the deal's legality is ongoing

Read full article from source: BBC