Eswatini Government sued over secret deal to accept US deportees
The applicants, led by the Eswatini Litigation Centre, argue that the agreement was unlawful because it was not presented to parliament and the terms were hidden from public view.
Lawyers and human rights activists in Eswatini have taken the government to court over a secret agreement with the United States to accept deportees from other countries, arguing the deal broke the law.
The case was scheduled for a hearing at the High Court on Friday, August 22, 2025, but has been pushed to September 25 after the government did not submit response documents, lead lawyer Mzwandile Masuku told Reuters outside the court.
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Eswatini’s Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo dismissed the challenge.
"It's a frivolous legal application," he said in a text message.
In July, five individuals deported from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen arrived in Eswatini. All had criminal convictions, and the government says they are being held in solitary confinement until they can be returned to their home countries.
The applicants, led by the Eswatini Litigation Centre, argue that the agreement was unlawful because it was not presented to parliament and the terms were hidden from public view.
They also say no one has been allowed to check on the deportees’ well-being.
"We want the executive to be held accountable, we want transparency dealing with matters of state importance, (and) respect for the rights of all individuals who are in Eswatini regardless of who they may be," Masuku said.
Eswatini, an absolute monarchy under King Mswati III, has said the deportees pose no danger and that the deal was part of its friendly relations with Washington.
The International Organisation for Migration confirmed it had received a request from Eswatini to provide "post-arrival assistance" for the deportees, but did not clarify if or how it would help.
The case comes amid US President Donald Trump’s broader push to deport millions of immigrants who entered America illegally, with a growing focus on third-country removals.
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