Eswatini has repatriated 10 of its 31 deportees from the US, probably through South Africa, and there are rumours that they were released through informal border crossings.
Eswatini has repatriated 10 individuals – some with criminal records – probably via Johannesburg to third countries, but both countries are denying that Eswatini was “secretly releasing United States (US) deportees at night to South Africa through informal border crossings…”
The 10 deportees are part of 31 people who have been deported to the country from the US since 2025.
Though officials said the 10 were very likely to have transited through South Africa, Eswatini government acting spokesperson Thabile Mdluli told Daily Maverick, “We are deliberately not mentioning the countries of transit. We will still need them for future repatriations.”
The media reports that Eswatini had smuggled US deportees into South Africa seem to originate from the online news portal Swaziland News, which is notorious for publishing similar kinds of stories.
Reports ‘misleading’
The Eswatini government responded in a statement expressing concern about the reports, which it said were misleading “and have the potential to cause unnecessary apprehension and anxiety, particularly among neighbouring countries.”
It said it had repatriated ten “Third Country Nationals” (TCNs) between September 2025 and October 2026 to their countries of origin. The government said it “works closely with relevant international and national stakeholders to ensure that…
