Mbabane – His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) has declared it is prepared to handle additional deported inmates if Eswatini receives formal requests from the United States.
Commissioner General Phindile LaMakhosini Dlamini confirmed the correctional service’s readiness on Monday, 21 July 2025, after government officials raised questions on prison capacity.
Her response follows last Friday’s press briefing by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini, who stated the US would need to submit formal requests before more deportees could be accepted. Decisions will be based on Eswatini’s capacity and security assessments.
Five foreign inmates were recently deported to Eswatini from the US on Wednesday, arriving through King Mswati III International Airport. They are from Vietnam, Laos, Jamaica, Cuba, and Yemen, and are serving sentences for crimes including second-degree murder, burglary, aggravated assault, and robbery.
Dlamini said the inmates are held at undisclosed facilities under strict security conditions, similar to local high-risk offenders. She added that although the US covers the cost of food and transport for the inmates, they are treated equally to local prisoners when it comes to meals and confinement conditions.
The prime minister has also assured the public that the presence of the inmates poses no security threat, as they are housed in isolation and managed by specialised correctional staff.
Parliamentarians have voiced concerns over the government’s handling of the matter and are seeking further answers from the prime minister during an upcoming parliamentary session.
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