Eswatini High Court Dismisses Challenge to U.S. Deportation Deal

Mbabane — Eswatini’s High Court has dismissed a legal challenge brought by human rights lawyers seeking to block the government’s agreement with the United States to accept third-country deportees, according to a copy of the judgment reviewed on Wednesday.

The case was filed by applicants led by the Eswatini Litigation Centre, who argued that the deal was unconstitutional because it was not submitted to parliament for approval and because its terms were not made public.

The court rejected the application, effectively allowing the agreement to remain in force.

Under the arrangement, Eswatini has received at least 15 third-country deportees from the United States since July, according to figures released by U.S. authorities. In return, the southern African kingdom received $5.1 million as part of the deal.

The agreement forms part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s broader immigration policy, which has seen deportees transferred to third countries willing to accept them.

Critics of the deal argue that it lacks transparency and bypasses parliamentary oversight, while the Eswatini government has defended the arrangement as lawful and in the national interest.

King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch, has not publicly commented on the ruling. Eswatini remains one of the few countries on the continent where political power is heavily centralised in the monarchy.

The ruling is likely to fuel further debate over governance, accountability, and Eswatini’s growing cooperation with foreign governments on sensitive migration issues.