Is Africa the U.S.'s New Prison for Convicted Criminals?

The U.S. has deported five people whom it described as "criminal illegal aliens" to Eswatini. The deportees are originally from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen, and had been convicted of serious crimes such as murder and child rape. Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin said that their home countries had refused to take them back, prompting the US to send them to Eswatini as a "safe third country."

Eswatini confirmed the men were being held in isolated correctional units and posed no threat to the public. The U.S. and Eswatini planned to collaborate with the UN's immigration agency to facilitate the men's eventual transfer to their home countries.

Trump's immigration crackdown drew the criticism of Swazi pro-democracy activists who warned against the country becoming a dumping ground for foreign criminals. Concerns were also raised over whether Eswatini's prisons could securely house such offenders. Similar deportations had recently been made to South Sudan, and discussions with other countries like Rwanda and Benin were reportedly ongoing.