The Trump administration announced on Tuesday the deportation of five individuals, labeled as “criminal illegal aliens,” to Eswatini, a small African kingdom formerly known as Swaziland.
The deported men, nationals of Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, Cuba, and Jamaica, were described by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials as “uniquely barbaric” and unwanted by their countries of origin.
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The move follows a similar deportation on July 4, when eight migrants were sent to conflict-ridden South Sudan after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower court’s injunction blocking such actions.
These deportations are part of the administration’s broader third-country deportation strategy, which involves sending migrants to nations other than their own when their home countries refuse to accept them or when U.S. law prevents their return.
The policy has drawn significant criticism, with human rights advocates arguing it sends individuals to countries where they lack ties and may face persecution, torture, or death.
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South Sudan, for instance, is described as politically unstable and plagued by violence, while Eswatini, ruled by King Mswati III, has faced accusations of human rights violations.