NYN | News
The American news agency Associated Press revealed in recent hours an unusual deportation operation carried out by U.S. authorities last month. The operation involved five rejected migrants, including a Yemeni national who was transferred to a high-security prison in the Kingdom of Eswatini, located in southern Africa.
The others deported were from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, and Vietnam, under a secret agreement signed by the administration of former President Donald Trump with the authorities of Eswatini, known as the last absolute monarchyon the continent.
This move falls under a controversial security program designed to circumvent legal and humanitarian barriers that hinder the deportation of certain migrants to their countries of origin. Instead, they are sent to “third countries” under undisclosed arrangements, beyond the scrutiny of public opinion.
The lawyer representing the deportees expressed concern over the conditions of his clients’ detention in Eswatini, noting they have been denied legal contact since July 25, and are being held in solitary confinement pending final deportation — a process that could take months or even up to a year.
In a brief post on X (formerly Twitter), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed the air deportation to a third country, describing the deportees as “criminal aliens unlawfully present” in the U.S. after their home countries refused to accept them back. The department published their names and photos but provided no further explanation.
Trump-Era Deportation Policies Resurface
This operation has once again drawn attention to the hardline immigration policies pursued under the Trump administration, including third-country deportation agreements, the “zero tolerance” policy that led to the separation of thousands of children from their families, restrictions on refugee admissions, and efforts to dismantle the DACA program, which protects undocumented minors.
It is worth noting that the Kingdom of Eswatini, which is landlocked by South Africa, has faced widespread criticism for its deteriorating human rights record under the rule of King Mswati III, who has been in power since 1986 and is accused of hoarding wealth and exercising power in an authoritarian manner.
