Context: The United States has deported few foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes to Eswatini, a small southern African kingdom ruled by Africa’s last absolute monarch.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Location of Kingdom of Eswatini.
African Kingdom of Eswatini
- Eswatini, formally Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is situated between South Africa and Mozambique.
- It is one of the world's last remaining absolute monarchies and the last in Africa. King Mswati III, who has ruled since 1986, holds full control of government functions and rules by decree.
- Political parties are banned from participating in the electoral process. Protests calling for democratic reforms have grown. The government has been widely accused of using security forces to suppress dissent.
- Social Issues: Over half of its 1.2 million population lives on less than $4 a day. The country has the world’s highest HIV prevalence rate, with roughly 26% of adults living with the virus.
US deportation of Foreign Nationals
- The deportation to Eswatini is part of a wider US strategy to expand third-country deportations. Earlier, the US had sent deportees to South Sudan. Other nations reportedly approached for similar deals include- Rwanda, Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Moldova.
- The deportees are flown to the the-world countries, as their home countries refuse to take them back. The convicts are held in isolation at correctional facilities, while arrangements are made for their eventual return to their countries of origin.
- Rationale: The deportations are part of a wider effort by the US administration to ensure that people who terrorised American communities are removed.