Eswatini confirmed Monday it received over $5 million from the United States to accept dozens of deportees under Washington’s aggressive programme.
The small southern African kingdom has taken in 15 men since secretive deals were struck with at least five African nations, according to rights groups.
A document revealed by Human Rights Watch indicated Eswatini agreed to accept 160 deportees in exchange for $5.1 million to strengthen border and migration management.
Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg confirmed parliament had been informed of the payment, saying the ministry was largely excluded from negotiations surrounding the arrangement.
The first five men arrived in July aboard a U.S. military plane, followed by another group in early October, officials said.
Washington described some of the deportees as “depraved monsters,” convicted of crimes including child rape and murder, raising ethical concerns internationally.
They are held without charge in Eswatini’s Matsapha Correctional Centre, a maximum-security facility known for detaining political prisoners, lawyers said.
One 62-year-old Jamaican, having completed a U.S. murder sentence, was deported back to Jamaica in September, amid widespread criticism of the programme.
Civil society groups and lawyers in Eswatini have challenged the legality of the detentions in court, calling for judicial scrutiny and transparency.
Rijkenberg said the U.S. funds were routed through Eswatini’s National Disaster Management Agency, pledging to regularise spending despite restrictions on unappropriated money.
It remains unclear which Eswatini officials signed the deal, as the absolute monarchy continues under King Mswati III, often criticised for human rights violations.
The programme highlights tensions between U.S. deportation policies and international norms, casting Eswatini into the global spotlight for the first time.