KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) 鈥� Jamaica鈥檚 government said two of its three citizens recently deported by the United States to the have formally declined offers to be repatriated to .
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Thursday that Jamaican officials were still attempting to contact the third citizen.
鈥淒uring the discussion, the men were advised of the consular assistance available to them and of the government鈥檚 readiness to facilitate their return to Jamaica,鈥� the Foreign Ministry said.
The Jamaican government advised the pair that authorities “could not determine their immigration status in the United States or secure their return there. Both men maintained that they did not wish to return to Jamaica.鈥�
Contact was established through the Jamaican Consulate in Miami and a legal adviser representing the men, who haven’t been identified.
Jamaica鈥檚 outreach followed diplomatic inquiries directed at U.S. officials in Washington, alongside formal representations made to Eswatini鈥檚 government through Jamaica鈥檚 diplomatic mission in Pretoria, South Africa.
The growing number of by the U.S. government to places including Eswatini have been widely criticized by lawyers and human rights groups.
Eswatini is a tiny kingdom bordering South Africa where the king holds absolute power and has been accused of clamping down on pro-democracy movements.
Orville Etoria, who was the first Jamaican national sent to Eswatini under the program, last September.
His lawyers have accused the U.S. of deporting him unlawfully there in July 2025 and said that he and others were repeatedly denied visits by a lawyer.
Etoria was repatriated with help from the International Organization for Migration, or IOM, a U.N. agency.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
