Context:

Eswatini has decided to repatriate five migrants deported from the U.S. after their home countries refused to accept them. These migrants, originating from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba, had been imprisoned in the U.S. for serious offenses. The deportation to Eswatini marked the first third-country deportation under the Trump administration, following a Supreme Court ruling allowing such actions. Concerns have been raised about the potential mistreatment of deportees and the legality of these deportations, particularly in light of Eswatini's human rights record. Despite assurances from Eswatini's government about the safety and security of its citizens, the exact terms of the agreement with the U.S. remain undisclosed.

Dive Deeper:

• Eswatini plans to repatriate five migrants deported from the U.S. after their home countries refused to accept them. The migrants are from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba and had been serving sentences for serious offenses in the U.S.

• This deportation marks the first instance of third-country deportation since the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with such practices. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security indicated that these deportations occurred because the migrants' own countries would not take them back.

• Eswatini's government, along with the U.S. and the International Organization for Migration, intends to facilitate the deportees' return to their countries of origin. However, the International Organization for Migration clarified that it was not involved in the deportation process from the U.S.

• Legal and human rights experts have challenged the deportations, citing risks of mistreatment and torture, particularly in countries with questionable human rights records. The Trump administration's actions are seen by some as a strategy to encourage self-deportation among migrants.

• Critics argue that the deportation to Eswatini is a misuse of resources and undermines legal protections against deporting individuals to unsafe countries. In Eswatini, opposition groups have condemned the move, highlighting concerns about the monarchy's human rights practices.

• Eswatini's government assured its citizens that the deportees pose no threat, holding them in isolation units as part of safety measures. Despite reassurances, the terms of the agreement with the U.S. remain classified, raising questions about what Eswatini received in return for accepting the deportees.

• The Trump administration's previous deportations, such as the one to South Sudan, have faced similar scrutiny, with concerns about the safety of deportees and the lack of communication with their families.