Eswatini’s government has confirmed that it received $5.1 million (£3.8 million) from the Trump administration in exchange for accepting migrants deported from the United States — a deal that has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups.
Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg disclosed the payment in parliament on Monday, saying the funds were received without the finance ministry being fully briefed.
“We were told it was for the US deportees after we enquired,” Rijkenberg said, according to AFP, adding that his ministry had been kept “in the dark” about the arrangement.
Details of the Controversial Agreement
Human Rights Watch (HRW) earlier reported seeing a copy of the agreement, which provided for Eswatini to take in up to 160 deportees from the US in exchange for funds aimed at strengthening the kingdom’s “border and migration management capacity.”
So far, Eswatini has accepted 15 deportees — five in July and 10 in October. One has already been repatriated to Jamaica, while the government says discussions are underway to return the others to their respective countries of origin.
Government acting spokeswoman Thabile Mdluli told the BBC that all deportees would eventually be repatriated:
“Engagements are ongoing to repatriate the other deportees… Eventually, they will all be repatriated.”
Funds Held But Not Used
Rijkenberg said the $5.1 million was deposited into the account of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), though the agency has not been permitted to use the money because it has yet to be formally allocated. The payment still requires official “regularisation,” he added.
Despite criticism, Mdluli insisted the government had been transparent from the outset, saying the US was covering the costs of the deportees’ welfare, temporary stay, and repatriation.
Legal and Regional Concerns
Eswatini’s agreement with the US has sparked legal challenges from lawyers and civil society organisations who question whether the government had the authority to accept the deportees.
The government is defending the move in court, maintaining it acted within its powers.
The deal has also raised alarm in neighbouring South Africa, which fears that deportees housed in Eswatini could attempt to cross its porous borders.
The deportees include individuals from Jamaica, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen. The US government has described some of them as “depraved monsters.”
Eswatini — formerly known as Swaziland — is a small, landlocked country bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. It has been ruled by King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch, since 1986.
