The government of Jamaica announced that two of the three citizens deported from the United States to Eswatini have declined offers to return to Jamaica. Efforts are ongoing to reach the third individual.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jamaican officials provided details on consular support available and expressed readiness to assist with their return to Jamaica. Despite this, the two individuals declined, citing an unwillingness to return.
Contact was facilitated by the Jamaican Consulate in Miami and included a legal adviser representing the two men, who remain unidentified.
Jamaica’s efforts involved diplomatic discussions with U.S. officials in Washington and formal communications with Eswatini’s government through Jamaica’s diplomatic presence in Pretoria, South Africa.
There has been criticism from lawyers and human rights organizations regarding the practice of deporting individuals to third countries, like Eswatini, where the monarchy is accused of suppressing pro-democracy efforts.
The first Jamaican sent to Eswatini in this situation, Orville Etoria, returned home last September. Legal representatives claim he was unlawfully deported and faced obstacles in accessing legal counsel while in Eswatini.
Etoria’s return was facilitated by the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations agency.
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