10 more migrants sent to Eswatini as part of U.S.' third-country deportation agreement
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DHS is continuing its deportation flights of migrants to countries where they don't have ties. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The U.S. deported 10 more migrants to Eswatini on Monday as part of its third-country deportation agreement with the African nation.
Driving the news: Three Vietnamese men, one Filipino, one Cambodian, as well as men from Chad and Cuba were sent to the southern African nation, Axios has learned.
- The Kingdom of Eswatini's Correctional Services division issued a press release confirming the arrival of the 10 men on Monday.
- Two attorneys already representing men being held in Eswatini confirmed the new arrivals and their nationalities with their existing clients.
The big picture: This is the latest flight from the U.S. to African nations that have agreed to accept deportees from other countries.
- The U.S. has agreements with numerous countries, including South Sudan, Rwanda, Ghana and Uganda, Kosovo and Mexico, as well as Eswatini to accept "third country nationals." In some cases in exchange for millions of dollars.
Zoom out: Five men from Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, Yemen and Jamaica were sent to Eswatini in July. The Jamaican man was repatriated, but the others remain in custody.
- In a written agreement, Eswatini agreed to accept up to 160 deportees from other countries and will be paid $5.1 million.
What they're saying: "The illegal aliens deported to Eswatini have been convicted of heinous crimes which include murder and rape — they do not belong in the United States," said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson in a statement.
- "The Trump Administration is fulfilling the President's promise to carry out the largest mass deportation operation of criminal illegal aliens using all the tools at our disposal," she added.
- "These nationals have been securely accommodated in one of the country's Correctional Facilities, as Government continues to collaborate with relevant local and international stakeholders to facilitate their orderly repatriation," spokesperson for Eswatini's Correctional Services Baphelele Kunene said in a statement.
The other side: "Even if my clients are successfully repatriated tomorrow, these third-country deportations remain illegal and must be stopped before hundreds more people are unjustly subjected to this system," said Tin Thanh Nguyen, an attorney for three of the men on the most recent flight and two others from a previous flight.
- Multiple attorneys in the U.S. and these third countries have been critical of the detention conditions for the men and the legality of the removals, which are part of several ongoing court challenges.
- "I cannot call them. I cannot email them. I cannot communicate through local counsel because the Eswatini government blocks all attorney access," Nguyen said.
