Eswatini begins phased deportation of foreigners tied to illegal gambling operation
Those deported were arrested during a police operation at the Castle Hotel.
Eswatini.- Eswatini has begun deporting foreign nationals convicted of illegal immigration offences and linked to an illegal gambling operation uncovered earlier this year.
The first group, comprising 17 people— 16 Brazilian citizens and one Taiwanese resident— departed the country on June 21, after spending three months in detention. Authorities escorted them to King Mswati III International Airport, where they boarded a flight to Johannesburg before connecting to their respective destinations.
The deportations follow a court ruling requiring those convicted of unlawfully entering and remaining in Eswatini to cover the cost of their return travel.
Those deported were arrested during a police operation at the Castle Hotel, where investigators uncovered suspected illegal gambling activities, and were subsequently charged with immigration-related offences.
Officials said additional deportations will be carried out in phases. Those expected to leave include nationals from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, India and Myanmar who were also convicted in connection with the case.
