Audio By Carbonatix
Eswatini's government said on Wednesday that it was holding five third-country nationals deported from the United States in isolated prison units under a deal with President Donald Trump's administration, but sought to eventually send them home.
The U.S. Homeland Security Department said on Tuesday that a deportation flight carrying immigrants from five countries had landed in Eswatini, after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on deporting migrants to countries that are not their own.
The five individuals on the flight were convicted criminals from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba and Yemen, it said. U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said on X that their home countries had refused to take them back.
"Government acknowledges the widespread concern regarding the deportation of third-country prisoners from the United States of America into the Kingdom of Eswatini," said Eswatini's acting government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli in a statement.
"Indeed, five inmates are currently housed in our correctional facilities in isolated units," she said, adding that this was "the result of months of robust high-level engagements" with the United States government.
Eswatini, a landlocked nation in Southern Africa, is home to about 1.2 million people and is ruled by an absolute monarch who has been in power since 1986.
The statement said that Eswatini and the United States would "collaborate with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to facilitate the transit of the inmates to their countries of origin."
The IOM could not immediately be reached for comment.
Latest Stories
-
Free-scoring Semenyo takes burden off Haaland
42 minutes -
Kane scores twice as Bayern beat rivals Dortmund
2 hours -
Lamine Yamal hits first hat-trick in Barcelona win
2 hours -
Iran says US and Israel strikes hit school killing 108
2 hours -
What we know so far: Supreme Leader Khamenei killed, Trump says, as Iran launches retaliatory strikes
2 hours -
Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dead after US-Israeli attacks
3 hours -
Ghana cautions nationals against non-essential travel to and from the Middle East as tensions escalate
4 hours -
NAIMOS has failed in galamsey fight; it’s time for a state of emergency – DYMOG to President Mahama
5 hours -
Mahama to open African Court judicial year in Arusha, mark 20th anniversary
5 hours -
Ghana begins partial evacuation of Tehran Embassy as Middle East tensions escalate
6 hours -
EPA tightens surveillance on industries, moves to cut emissions with real-time monitoring system
6 hours -
Police conduct show of force exercise ahead of Ayawaso East by-election
8 hours -
Ghana launches revised Early Childhood Care and Development Policy to strengthen child development framework
8 hours -
AI to transform 49% of jobs in Africa within three years – PwC Survey
8 hours -
Physicist raises scientific and cost concerns over $35m EPA’s galamsey water cleaning technology
8 hours
