The United States has resumed sending immigrant deportees to countries other than their home nations, following the Supreme Court’s lifting of a ban on the Trump administration’s efforts. The Department of Homeland Security announced that it had sent five immigrants to Eswatini, a small nation in southern Africa.
This move comes after the White House reached deals with several countries to remove immigrants whose own countries are reluctant to accept them back. However, immigration advocacy groups have raised concerns about human rights violations in some of these countries and the risk of torture or abuse for deportees.
According to Human Rights First, an organization behind a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s deportation policies, Eswatini has a poor human rights record and is one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarchies. The U.S. State Department had previously raised concerns about safety in the country, including accounts of unlawful or arbitrary killings by security forces.
Despite these concerns, some leaders have welcomed the deportees, stating that they pose no security threat to the nation and will be returned according to international rules and regulations. However, critics argue that this approach is a recipe for prolonged arbitrary detention or worse.
The U.S. has also reportedly looked to set up agreements with other countries, including Libya and Rwanda, as efforts to ramp up deportations continue.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-third-country-removals-immigrants-map-2099910