Jamaica commends Eswatini for exemplary support in the safe repatriation of “deportee”
By Siphesihle Dlamini
Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, has publicly expressed profound gratitude to the Government of Eswatini for its cooperation and the duty of care exercised in facilitating the safe and voluntary repatriation of deportee Orville Isaac Etoria to Jamaica.
“We are pleased to welcome home Mr Etoria and we trust the Jamaican public understands and joins the government in respecting his desire for a quiet return,”
Minister Johnson Smith said. She emphasised that the well-being of Jamaicans overseas remains a constant priority for the Government of Jamaica and noted that this case serves as another clear example of the importance of international cooperation and the critical role played by Jamaica’s diplomatic network in protecting the rights of its citizens abroad.
The Minister extended thanks not only to Eswatini but also to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for its direct support, as well as to Jamaica’s High Commission in Pretoria for their hands-on engagement.
“Together, our combined efforts ensured Mr Etoria’s safe return,” she added, highlighting the multi-faceted collaboration that made this repatriation possible.
Orville Isaac Etoria, a Jamaican national, voluntarily repatriated himself from Eswatini to Jamaica on Sunday, 21 September 2025. His return was carried out entirely at his own volition and without any form of compulsion. Etoria was one of five immigrants who arrived in Eswatini in July 2025 under the United States’ Third Country Prisoners (TCP) Programme, an initiative designed to allow certain prisoners to serve their sentences in third countries, closer to their homes.
The successful repatriation of Etoria underscores the strength and effectiveness of diplomatic ties between Jamaica and Eswatini, as well as the importance of international organisations like the IOM in facilitating complex cross-border movements.
The Government of Jamaica’s proactive engagement through its diplomatic missions and international partners reflects its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights and welfare of its citizens abroad.
The Third Country Prisoners Programme, under which Etoria and others were relocated, aims to manage prison populations while allowing inmates to serve sentences closer to their home countries, facilitating rehabilitation and reintegration.
Etoria’s voluntary return to Jamaica exemplifies the programme’s potential to respect individual agency while maintaining international legal standards.
