The Kingdom of Eswatini has announced the repatriation of five migrants sent to them from the U.S., marking a new chapter in international deportation policies.
Eswatini to Repatriate Migrants Deported by the U.S.
Eswatini to Repatriate Migrants Deported by the U.S.
The African nation of Eswatini will send back migrants previously deported by the Trump administration.
July 16, 2025, 5:30 p.m. ET
In a surprising turn of events, the African kingdom of Eswatini declared on Wednesday its intention to repatriate five migrants deported from the United States. This decision comes just one day after U.S. officials communicated that the migrants' home countries had declined to accept them. The individuals, originally from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba, had been incarcerated in the United States for serious offenses, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
This repatriation marks the inaugural instance of so-called third-country deportations following a recent Supreme Court ruling that empowered the Trump administration to proceed with such practices. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin noted on social media that these five individuals were sent to Eswatini due to their countries’ refusals to take them back.
However, a government spokesperson from Eswatini, Thabile Mdluli, stated that her nation, along with the United States and the International Organization for Migration, would facilitate the return of these migrants to their countries of origin. Interestingly, the International Organization for Migration clarified that it had not been involved in the migrants' removal and had not received any requests for support regarding their repatriation.
In a surprising turn of events, the African kingdom of Eswatini declared on Wednesday its intention to repatriate five migrants deported from the United States. This decision comes just one day after U.S. officials communicated that the migrants' home countries had declined to accept them. The individuals, originally from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba, had been incarcerated in the United States for serious offenses, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
This repatriation marks the inaugural instance of so-called third-country deportations following a recent Supreme Court ruling that empowered the Trump administration to proceed with such practices. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin noted on social media that these five individuals were sent to Eswatini due to their countries’ refusals to take them back.
However, a government spokesperson from Eswatini, Thabile Mdluli, stated that her nation, along with the United States and the International Organization for Migration, would facilitate the return of these migrants to their countries of origin. Interestingly, the International Organization for Migration clarified that it had not been involved in the migrants' removal and had not received any requests for support regarding their repatriation.
