Jamaican citizens deported to Eswatini by the United States refuse to be repatriated.
BY ZWELI MARTIN DLAMINI
Swaziland News,19th July 2026
MBABANE: Jamaica’s Government said two of its three citizens recently deported by the United States to the African Kingdom of Eswatini have formally declined offers to be repatriated to the Caribbean Nation, the New York based Associated Press (AP) reported this week.
It has been reported that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Thursday that Jamaican officials were still attempting to contact the third citizen.
“During the discussion, the men were advised of the consular assistance available to them and of the government’s readiness to facilitate their return to Jamaica,” the Foreign Ministry said as quoted by the Associated Press.
The Jamaican Government advised the pair that authorities “could not determine their immigration status in the United States or secure their return there, both men maintained that they did not wish to return to Jamaica.”
But the Associated Press further reported that, contact was established through the Jamaican Consulate in Miami and a lawyer representing the men, who haven’t been identified.
Jamaica’s outreach followed diplomatic inquiries directed at US officials in Washington, alongside formal representations made to Eswatini’s government through Jamaica’s diplomatic mission in Pretoria, South Africa.
The growing number of third-country deportations by the United States Government to places including Eswatini have been widely criticized by lawyers and human rights groups.
Eswatini is a tiny Kingdom bordering South Africa where the King holds absolute power and has been accused of clamping down on pro-democracy movements.
https://swazilandnews.co.za/articles/36986