【By Shao Yun, Observers Network】

According to a report by CNN on the 18th, the Trump administration of the United States recently sparked public outrage in Eswatini, a small landlocked African country, by deporting five illegal immigrants accused of "felonies" to the third country.

According to the report, although Eswatini officials stated that these deported individuals were held separately and "did not pose a threat", local civil groups and opposition parties have been sharply critical, directly stating that Eswatini should not be a "dumping ground" for Trump. U.S. government officials even openly described the five deported individuals as "depraved monsters".

Eswatini is a small country in the southeast of the African continent, with an area of only 17,360 square kilometers, comparable to Beijing. It is one of the few countries in the world that still maintains an absolute monarchy, and it is also the last so-called "friendly country" of the Taiwan authorities in Africa. However, what has recently made Eswatini the center of attention is the five foreign illegal immigrants "sent" by the United States this week.

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, announced the news on social media on the 16th. According to her, the five people came from Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, Yemen, and Vietnam, and they had been charged with serious crimes such as child rape, murder, and robbery in the United States, and had been illegally staying in the country for a long time.

"A security third-country deportation flight heading to Eswatini in southern Africa has landed - the people on board are so savage that their own countries refused to accept them back. These depraved monsters have been terrorizing American communities, but thanks to President Trump and Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, they have finally left the U.S. territory," McLaughlin wrote.

McLaughlin's post, with a picture (only part of which is shown), is a screenshot of a Vietnamese immigrant being deported

The Eswatini government confirmed on the 16th that the criminals deported by the United States had arrived in the country. CNN said that although Eswatini officials admitted that this move has caused widespread public attention, they also insisted that the deported individuals were held separately in independent units in the country's prisons, and "did not pose a threat to the country or its citizens."

Thabile Mdluli, acting government spokesperson of Eswatini, told CNN that this deportation was the result of months of high-level negotiations between the U.S. and Eswatini. Mdluli said on the 18th that the country will continue to cooperate with the United States and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist these prisoners in returning to their home countries. But there is no exact schedule yet, only that the relevant parties are still in "key discussions".

The decision of Eswatini to accept the deported individuals from the United States quickly triggered widespread domestic opposition. The report analyzes that on one hand, it is because the public believes that these individuals with criminal records themselves are "security risks", and on the other hand, it is because the United States portrays Eswatini as a so-called "safe third country".

The report pointed out that as a small landlocked country with a population of over 1 million, Eswatini has long been plagued by poverty, unemployment, high crime rates, and overcrowded prisons. World Bank data shows that more than half of the Eswatini population lives on less than $4 per day.

The opposition party "People's United Democratic Movement" (PUDEMO) said that accepting these deported immigrants "poses a serious threat to the already vulnerable (Eswatini) community", saying that these communities are already fighting against crimes such as rape and murder.

"Our country can never be used as a dumping ground for those who are considered unsuitable to live elsewhere," PUDEMO wrote in a statement to CNN. The non-profit organization "Multi-Stakeholder Forum" (MSF) in Eswatini also stated in a statement that "the sovereignty and dignity of Eswatini must never be sold for unclear transactions or political purposes."

Photo: The Trump administration deporting illegal immigrants, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

However, this is not the first time that the United States has pressured African countries to receive illegal immigrants from third countries. CNN said that despite the widespread criticism of the Trump administration's large-scale deportation of illegal immigrants to prisons in El Salvador, the White House is quietly seeking agreements with some African countries. Recently, Nigeria publicly criticized the U.S. pressure, demanding that it accept some foreign returnees who are not even citizens of Nigeria.

"The United States is exerting great pressure on African countries to receive some Venezuelans who are about to be deported from the United States, some of whom are even directly taken out of prisons," Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar revealed in a television interview. The recent increase in U.S. tariffs and the shortening of visa validity periods are some of the pressure tactics.

In response, the U.S. embassy in Nigeria defended the changes in visa policy, stating that they "are not targeting any country whether it accepts third-country returnees", but rather to "protect the U.S. immigration system." A White House official told CNN through a statement: "The Trump administration is committed to deporting illegal immigrants from the United States. We often discuss various issues with governments around the world, but we do not comment on private consultations."

Analytical experts believe that behind the Trump administration's actions lies racial discrimination. Lucky Lukhele, a member of the anti-government exile civilian organization "Eswatini Unity Network" based in South Africa, said: "Using Africa as Trump's dumping ground is naked racism." Lukhele said that according to his knowledge, Eswatini's prisons are already overcrowded, but the U.S. is planning to send more illegal immigrants in the future.

Some South African government sources say that South Africa suspects that some people within the Trump administration are using the deportation of prisoners to "disrupt South Africa's stability."

This is because Eswatini's geographical location is very special, with South Africa surrounding it on the north, west, and south. "Everyone knows that these (deported) people will try every means to enter South Africa," another diplomatic source revealed. The U.S. did indeed ask South Africa to accept immigrants, "but we refused," the source said. This move by the U.S. is an act of provocation, constituting a direct national security threat.

American experts have warned that the Trump administration may be eyeing the mineral resources of African countries. CNN reported that Ken Opalo, associate professor at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, warned that the Trump administration is forcing African countries to "do some shocking things, such as receiving immigrants from random countries, or through ambiguous and meaningless deals, handing over their mineral resources to them (the U.S.)."

"If African countries still hope to reach agreements with the United States and expect the White House to make credible commitments, that would be naive. Because the nature of agreements is transactions, which means everything can change," Opalo said. Previously, Trump announced in April to impose 10% and 30% tariffs respectively on goods exported from Eswatini and South Africa to the U.S., which will take effect on August 1st, causing the Eswatini central bank to express serious concerns about the "economic impact."

This article is an exclusive work of Observers Network, and without permission, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7528432259825664512/

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