Eswatini Sparks Outrage After Agreeing to House US’s Most Dangerous Criminals and Terrorism Suspects
The government of Eswatini is facing mounting backlash after agreeing to a controversial deal with the United States to take custody of some of America’s most dangerous criminals and terrorism suspects.
According to reports by News24, Eswatini will soon receive over 150 terrorism suspects linked to extremist groups, as well as five convicted criminals described as among the US’s “most barbaric.”
These inmates include individuals convicted of child rape, murder, burglary, and gang-related activities. The convicts are illegal immigrants from countries such as Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba, which have refused to accept them back.
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Critics Slam Eswatini as “Dumping Ground” for America’s Worst Offenders
The agreement, believed to be worth millions of dollars, has been met with fierce criticism. The deal reportedly includes financial assistance to build new correctional infrastructure and train prison personnel in Eswatini, one of the world’s poorest nations.
“This is a deliberate act of collusion by two corrupt governments to dump America’s most violent criminals in one of the world’s poorest nations,” said the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN).
The group further criticized the King Mswati-led Tinkhundla regime for allegedly making the deal without public consultation or parliamentary approval.
Fears in South Africa Over Spillover of Criminal Threats
The decision by the Trump administration has also sparked anxiety in neighboring South Africa, where many fear that dangerous criminals may escape or be released and cross the border into the region.
Some netizens argued that Eswatini is being used as a “dumping site” for criminals who may eventually threaten Southern African communities.