Eswatini’s government has confirmed receiving $5.1 million from the Trump administration in exchange for accepting deportees from the United States.
Shedding light on a secretive immigration deal that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and lawmakers, Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg revealed the payment, stating that the Ministry of Finance had been unaware of the deal until after the funds were transferred.
The document, signed on May 14 in Eswatini’s capital Mbabane, said that the U.S. would provide Eswatini with $5.1 million to “build its border and migration management capacity” and that in exchange, Eswatini would accept up to 160 third-country deportees.
“We have no comment on the details of our diplomatic communications with other governments,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said, adding that implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies was a top priority.
The U.S. has sent at least 15 immigrants to Eswatini so far, from countries including Vietnam, Cuba, Laos, Yemen and the Philippines. They are imprisoned there, except for one who was repatriated to Jamaica.
The confirmation follows months of scrutiny over the arrangement, first brought to light in September by Human Rights Watch.
The rights group said it had obtained a copy of the agreement under which Eswatini agreed to accept up to 160 US deportees in exchange for funding to enhance its “border and migration management capacity.”
So far, the southern African kingdom has received two batches of deportees – five in July and 10 in October.
The deal has sparked outrage among rights groups who accuse Eswatini’s monarchy – led by King Mswati III – of trading in vulnerable individuals for financial gain under the guise of development aid.
Critics have also raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the agreement, particularly given the apparent exclusion of key government ministries from the negotiation process.
