Eswatini has officially acknowledged receiving $5.1 million from the United States in exchange for accepting deportees from third countries — the first time the kingdom has publicly confirmed the arrangement.
The revelation has intensified criticism from human rights organisations, which accuse the government of striking a secretive and unconstitutional deal with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Details of the agreement remain undisclosed, and legal action is under way to compel transparency.
Read Also: Burkina Faso reveals its version of why U.S. visa services were moved to Lome
Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg told reporters on Tuesday that the funds were transferred to the account of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA). However, he noted that the agency cannot use the money because it has not been formally allocated through government budget procedures. The payment, he added, “still needs to be regularised.”
Several African nations including Eswatini
Eswatini is among several African countries that agreed to receive deportees as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. At least 15 individuals have already been sent to the southern African kingdom, with the agreement reportedly allowing for up to 160 arrivals.
One deportee has since been repatriated to Jamaica, while the others remain in detention. Local lawyers and civil society groups have taken the matter to court, challenging the legality of the detentions and demanding full disclosure of the deal.
