Eswatini
Why it Matters?
The United States deported five foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes to Eswatini under a third-country agreement after their home nations refused to accept them, highlighting Eswatini’s role in a broader U.S. deportation strategy.
What You Should Know?
Eswatini was formerly known as Swaziland.
It changed its name in 2018 to reflect its pre-colonial identity.
It is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered by South Africa to the north, west, and south, and by Mozambique to the east.
Mbabane is the administrative capital of Eswatini.
It has a varied geography, from mountains along the Mozambique border to savannas and rainforests.
It is the only country in Africa governed by an absolute monarch.
King Mswati III has ruled Eswatini since 1986 and holds complete control over the government.
Political parties are banned from elections, and candidates must be approved by traditional leaders.
According to the World Bank, over 50% of Eswatini's 1.2 million population lives on less than $4 per day.
Eswatini has the world’s highest HIV prevalence, with around 26% of adults living with the virus.
Eswatini is part of the US’s third-country deportation strategy, similar to cases involving South Sudan and other nations.
Third country deportations: immigrants are deported to a country that is not their home nation