The Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported late Thursday that two of its citizens, who were deported by the United States to the kingdom of Eswatini, have explicitly rejected government offers to facilitate their return to Jamaica. Officials stated that during discussions, the 2 men were informed of available consular assistance and the government’s readiness to bring them home.
According to the Ministry, authorities notified the pair that they were unable to determine their immigration status in the United States or secure their return there. Despite this, the men maintained that they did not wish to return to Jamaica. The government established contact with the unnamed individuals through the Jamaican Consulate in Miami and a legal adviser representing them. Jamaican officials noted they are still attempting to reach a third citizen involved in the situation.
This outreach follows formal diplomatic inquiries directed at U.S. officials in Washington, alongside representations made to the government of Eswatini via Jamaica’s diplomatic mission in Pretoria, South Africa. The practice of the U.S. government deporting third-country nationals to nations like Eswatini has faced significant criticism from human rights groups and legal experts.
Eswatini, a small kingdom bordering South Africa, is governed by a king who holds absolute power and has faced accusations of suppressing pro-democracy movements. The controversy surrounding these deportations follows the case of Orville Etoria, the first Jamaican national sent to Eswatini under this program, who was repatriated last September with assistance from the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations agency.
Lawyers for Etoria have alleged that his transfer to Eswatini in July 2025 was unlawful and claimed that he and others were repeatedly denied access to legal counsel during their detention. File photography from July 17, 2025, shows the Matsapha Correctional Complex in Matsapha, near Mbabane, where such individuals have been held.
