Why Eswatini accepted $5.1 million from the US for deportees - And why it’s causing uproar

According to Eswatini’s Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg, the US transferred $5.1 million (£3.8m) as part of an arrangement for the small southern African kingdom to accept US deportees.

The agreement, made known through media inquiries and documents seen by Human Rights Watch (HRW), allowed Eswatini to accept up to 160 deportees in exchange for support meant to strengthen its “border and migration management capacity.”

So far, Eswatini has taken in 15 deportees, five in July and ten in October.

The deportees originate from countries such as Jamaica, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen.US authorities have labelled some as “depraved monsters,” a characterisation that has raised concerns in the region — especially in neighbouring South Africa, which fears the individuals could cross its porous borders.

Rights groups, lawyers, and civil society organisations in Eswatini have strongly criticised the government for a lack of transparency in striking the agreement, possible violations of domestic and international law and ignoring public safety and human rights implications.

Legal challenges have already been filed in court questioning the legality of the government’s decision to accept the deportees.

Eswatini’s acting government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli insists the state has been transparent, saying the US has been covering the “welfare and repatriation costs” of the deportees, along with other expenses tied to their temporary stay.

The government maintains that it had the authority to enter the agreement and that decisions about accepting further deportees will depend on ongoing discussions with the US and available capacity within Eswatini's institutions.

The $5.1 million was deposited into the account of Eswatini’s National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) — but the agency cannot spend it yet.