Why one of the smallest countries on earth is demanding half a billion dollars from Trump

WorldPolitics
2 Sep 2025 • 6:30 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • The US administration resumed a policy of deporting immigrant detainees to so-called third countries, beginning with Eswatini.
  • Eswatini reportedly requested a substantial sum, potentially half a billion dollars, from the US administration to detain these deportees.
  • Five immigrants deported from the United States remain imprisoned in Eswatini, despite not facing new criminal charges, raising concerns about due process.
  • Human rights groups and critics argue that this policy places immigrants at severe risk, given Eswatini's poor human rights record and lack of due process.
  • Other nations, including Rwanda and Uganda, have also reached agreements with the US administration to receive deportees, with some already having arrived.

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