Eswatini has received $5.1 million from the United States government under a confidential agreement to accept migrants deported from other countries as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign, Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg confirmed on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
The southern African kingdom is one of several African nations, including South Sudan, Ghana, and Rwanda, that have entered into similar arrangements with Washington. These agreements form part of Trump’s broader efforts to tighten U.S. immigration policy and expand deportations of undocumented individuals and asylum seekers.
However, details of the deal have been kept secret, prompting backlash at home. Eswatini’s government now faces a legal challenge from human rights lawyers who argue that the agreement violates the country’s constitution and was executed without parliamentary approval or public consultation.
Rijkenberg, in a text message to Reuters, verified that Eswatini received $5.1 million but declined to provide additional information. “The transaction was handled by the prime minister, and I was unaware of it until afterwards,” he said.
An unverified copy of the agreement reviewed by Reuters indicates that the deal was signed on May 14 in the capital city, Mbabane. The document reportedly stipulates that the U.S. would provide financial assistance to Eswatini “to build its border and migration management capacity,” while the country would, in turn, accept up to 160 third-country deportees.
When asked about the arrangement, a U.S. State Department spokesperson declined to confirm specific details, stating only: “We have no comment on the details of our diplomatic communications with other governments.” The spokesperson added that enforcing the Trump administration’s immigration policies remains a “top priority.”
According to local sources, at least 15 deportees have already been transferred to Eswatini under the program. The individuals are from countries including Vietnam, Cuba, Laos, Yemen, and the Philippines. Most are reportedly being held in detention facilities, while one individual has since been repatriated to Jamaica.
The revelation has sparked widespread criticism from civil society groups, who argue that Eswatini’s acceptance of foreign deportees undermines its sovereignty and may expose the country to international human rights violations.
