Eswatini: Arrival of four more men under United States (US) unlawful removal deal

Four more men removed by the United States arrived in Eswatini on 11 March and are being detained in the Matsapha Correctional Complex, a maximum-security prison located some 2 kms from the country’s international airport. 

According to information received by Amnesty International, the men – two Somali nationals, one Tanzanian national and one Sudanese national – arrived at around 11PM on a flight originating from Phoenix, Arizona. 

“This latest unlawful transfer makes clear that the United States is continuing to send people to Eswatini under a secretive third-country removal arrangement, and that Eswatini is continuing to hold them in unlawful detention without transparency or adequate legal safeguards,” Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, said. 

“People with no known ties to Eswatini are transferred there and arbitrarily detained while their fate is decided behind closed doors. The authorities in Eswatini must immediately disclose the legal basis for these detentions, guarantee regular and confidential access to lawyers and families, and guarantee due process to ensure that no one is held arbitrarily.” 

In July 2025, the US removed a first group of five people to Eswatini where they were kept in arbitrary detention. This was followed by the removal of a further 10 individuals from the US to the Southern African country in October 2025. None were known to have ties with Eswatini, where human rights under the absolute monarchy continues to be curtailed. 

“No one should be removed to a country where they face a real risk of unlawful detention, onward refoulement or other serious human rights violations. Both Eswatini and the United States must end this deeply abusive practice,” Vongai Chikwanda said. 

Background

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 14 May 2025 and published in the United States following a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request, the government of Eswatini agreed to accept up to 160 third country national removed from the United States, in exchange for $5.1 million USD “to build its border and migration management capacity”.  

According to media reports, three men previously deported from the United States to Eswatini have filed a complaint before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, alleging that their prolonged detention is unlawful.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.