The Kingdom of Eswatini has confirmed receiving approximately R90 million ($5.1 million) from the United States government as part of a controversial agreement to accept up to 160 deportees, many described by American authorities as violent criminals. The revelation, made public during parliamentary questioning on Monday, has ignited outrage from civil society groups, who have launched legal challenges demanding full disclosure on the deal’s terms and the funds’ use.
Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg disclosed the payment during a session in the House of Assembly, stating that the funds were transferred to the National Disaster Management Agency’s account but remain frozen pending formal allocation. Officials claim the money is earmarked for enhancing border security and migration management capacity, though details on the agency’s specific role in this context remain vague. “We were told it was for the US deportees after we enquired,” Rijkenberg admitted, highlighting how even his ministry was sidelined during negotiations.
The agreement stems from the Trump administration’s expanded “third-country deportation” program, greenlit by the US Supreme Court in June 2025, which allows the expulsion of migrants to nations without ties to them when their home countries refuse repatriation. So far, 15 individuals—nationals from countries including Jamaica, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, and Cambodia—have arrived in two batches: five in July and ten in early October. They are detained without charges at the maximum-security Matsapha Correctional Centre, infamous for human rights abuses and housing political prisoners, where some report solitary confinement and harsh conditions.
Human Rights Watch (HRW), which obtained a copy of the deal in September, condemned it as a flagrant violation of international law, exposing deportees to risks of arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and refoulement. The US has branded some deportees “depraved monsters” convicted of serious offenses like child rape and murder, fueling accusations that African nations are being exploited as “dumping grounds” for unwanted criminals. HRW noted similar opaque pacts with Rwanda ($7.5 million for up to 250 deportees), South Sudan, Ghana, and Uganda, affecting over 40 people across Africa since July.
This opacity has prompted swift backlash in Eswatini, a landlocked absolute monarchy of 1.2 million ruled by King Mswati III since 1986, already grappling with poverty, high unemployment, HIV prevalence, and pro-democracy crackdowns. Civil society organizations, represented by lawyer Mzwandile Masuku, filed urgent court applications in July and September to halt further arrivals and secure legal access for the detainees. Hearings have been repeatedly delayed, with advocates accusing the government of stalling to evade scrutiny. One Jamaican deportee has been repatriated, but plans for the rest remain unclear, with Eswatini officials citing collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for eventual returns.
Neighboring South Africa has voiced alarms over potential border crossings, viewing the influx as a national security risk given porous frontiers. On social media, Eswatini citizens and pan-African voices have decried the deal as a sovereignty sellout, questioning why a cash-strapped nation would trade human rights for foreign aid. “Eswatini has confirmed receiving $5.1 million… a deal that has drawn criticism from rights groups,” posted @AAfrica_news, capturing the widespread dismay.
The Africa Report’s Crystal Orderson contextualized the decision as pragmatic desperation: “Each African country has decided that they’re going to do what they need to do to keep the lights on,” she explained, underscoring how economic pressures often eclipse human rights and regional stability concerns. As legal battles intensify, the arrangement highlights broader critiques of the US’s deportation strategy, which experts like Georgetown’s Ken Opalo argue coerces African states into “egregious” compromises for financial incentives.
Eswatini’s government insists the deportees pose no public threat and are receiving humane treatment, but with more arrivals potentially looming and courts in limbo, the kingdom faces mounting pressure to prioritize transparency and detainee rights over dollars.