Ezulwini – The United States government has moved to calm public fears after confirming that five migrants deported from America to Eswatini do not pose any danger to citizens.
Concerns started circulating on Wednesday following reports of the arrival of the deportees, who landed in the kingdom on 16 July.
Speaking to the Eswatini Observer, US Embassy Spokesperson Carly Van Orman confirmed the group was now in the custody of Eswatini authorities and dismissed fears about any security threat.
“These individuals are currently in the custody of government authorities and pose no threat to the citizens of Eswatini,” Van Orman told the Observer. She added that the migrants were being handled in line with Eswatini’s domestic laws and international obligations, with their safety and well-being guaranteed.
The arrival of the deportees comes after earlier reports revealed that Eswatini was among a list of countries approached by Washington to receive deported migrants.
A report by the Wall Street Journal detailed how the Trump administration had been in talks with countries such as Libya, Benin, Moldova, Mongolia, Rwanda, Kosovo, and Eswatini, following similar deals signed with Panama, Guatemala, and Honduras.
At the time, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sizwe Ntshangase, said the government was unaware of any such agreements.
Efforts to get further comment from the Ministry on Wednesday failed, with neither Ntshangase nor the Minister responding to questions.
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