Why Eswatini said yes to US deportees
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 748 Ratings
🗓️ 24 September 2025
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The US has now struck deals with five African countries to accept deportees convicted of crimes. The individuals aren’t sent to their countries of origin, but to a third country. Eswatini took five men who aren’t its citizens. With Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan and others signing on, what do these governments gain? And what happens to due process for the people caught in between?
In this episode:
- Cebelihle Mbuyisa (@CebelihleM), Journalist
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Sarí el Khalili, and Haleema Shah with Melanie Marich, Kisaa Zehra, and Farhan Rafid, and guest host Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Kylene Kiang.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Today, why are African countries accepting deportees from the U.S.? |
| 0:16.0 | The Trump administration has approached a number of African governments about accepting deportees as part of its campaign to deter immigration |
| 0:24.5 | through high-profile deportations to so-called third countries. |
| 0:28.7 | So what's in it for the African governments? |
| 0:33.6 | I'm Natasha Deltoro, and this is the take. |
| 0:49.3 | Before we start today's episode, if you're watching us on YouTube or Spotify, leave us a comment. I'd like to know what you think about Trump's policy of third country deportations. |
| 1:04.0 | My name is Kabilil Mbuyissa. I'm a journalist that mainly covers human rights concerns in Eswateini. I am at present in Cape Town learning to tell video stories. |
| 1:16.6 | Well, Tavaleisi, welcome to the take. We're thrilled to have you with us here today. So the Trump administration has been escalating the use of third country deportations. |
| 1:22.6 | This is deporting migrants to countries other than their country of origin. |
| 1:26.6 | The Southern African country of Eswetini, which is where you're from, is one of these. |
| 1:32.6 | And a group of NGOs is suing the government there because it agreed to take deportees from the U.S. |
| 1:39.5 | The opposition in Eswatini has branded the Kingdom's agreement to take in criminals from the United States as human trafficking disguised as a deportation deal. |
| 1:48.4 | What do we know about the men that are currently being held? |
| 1:53.6 | There's four of them now. Initially, it was five. All we know are the details that were important to the Trump administration when they made their |
| 2:04.4 | announcement in July, is that they are dangerous, that they are convicts, that their own |
| 2:13.8 | countries didn't even want them. |
| 2:24.5 | And the official statement on X didn't even bother to mention their names. |
| 2:27.1 | Their names were never really important. What was important, at least to the Trump administration, was the fact that they are dangerous. |
| 2:34.2 | And it was important then for the supporters of that administration to know that this dangerous |
| 2:41.4 | people are being drawn out of the US and into these insignificant, or if you like, shithole |
| 2:49.3 | countries on the African continent. |
... |
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