Cuban Deported to Africa Lives in 'Legal Black Hole'

“What the hell am I doing here in Africa? Explain it to me. Why are we in Africa?” The words of Roberto Mosquera del Peral echo from a maximum-security prison in Eswatini, the small African kingdom where he has been detained since July 2025 after being deported by the United States.

His case exposes a little-known practice of the Trump administration’s third-country deportation program: sending migrants whose countries of origin refuse to accept them back to distant destinations, creating what human rights lawyers call “legal black holes.”

The Cuban Who Lost Three Countries

Mosquera, arrested by ICE in Miami in June 2025, finds himself in a Kafkaesque limbo. Cuba notified him that he had lost his citizenship. The United States deported him. And Eswatini, where he had never been, keeps him detained indefinitely.

“The United States doesn’t want us. Africa says we’re not Africans. So where do we belong?” he laments in a video circulating on social media.

The Cuban recalls that his family left the island in 1980 after seeking refuge in the Peruvian embassy in Havana. His mother was a political prisoner for 18 months for being a Jehovah’s Witness. “Cuba sent the message that we had already lost our Cuban citizenship,” he explains.

According to U.S. authorities, Mosquera had a serious criminal record, including violent offenses. However, the deportee questions the legality of the process: “This is wrong… they are deporting Cubans and Vietnamese to other countries for money.”

Third-Country Program Under Trump

Mosquera’s deportation is part of the third-country expulsion program reestablished by Trump for migrants whose countries of origin refuse to accept them back. Eswatini, an absolute monarchy in southern Africa, accepts these cases in exchange for financial compensation.

Human rights organizations have harshly criticized the legality and conditions of deportees in this African nation. Lawyers denounce irregular access to legal assistance and limited communication with family members.

Mosquera remains in the maximum-security prison of Matsapha, near the capital Mbabane. In October, he began a hunger strike to protest his situation and the uncertainty about his future.

Cuban Migration Crisis Worsens

Mosquera’s case illustrates how the Cuban migration crisis has led the United States to seek extreme solutions. With more than 300,000 Cubans in legal limbo since Trump’s policies, and Cuba experiencing a devastating energy crisis with 16-hour daily blackouts, migration routes have become dramatically complicated.

Nicaragua closed the “Volcano Route” in February, cutting off visa-free access for 200,000 Cubans. Trump has deported 5,169 Cubans, a historic record, while revoking temporary protections for half a million migrants.

The third-country deportation program could expand if other traditional destinations, like Mexico, become saturated or if countries like Cuba continue to refuse to receive their deported nationals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Roberto Mosquera deported to Eswatini and not to Cuba?

Roberto Mosquera was deported to Eswatini as part of Trump’s third-country program for migrants whose countries of origin refuse to accept them back. Cuba informed that he had lost his Cuban citizenship, and Eswatini accepts these cases in exchange for financial compensation.

What is the third-country deportation program?

It is a policy that allows deporting migrants to countries other than their place of origin when those countries refuse to accept their return. Trump reestablished this program, sending deportees to nations like Eswatini in Africa in exchange for financial compensation.

What conditions is Mosquera in while in Eswatini?

Mosquera has been detained in the maximum-security prison of Matsapha since July 2025. His lawyers denounce that he lives in a “legal black hole” with irregular access to legal assistance and limited communication with family members. In October, he began a hunger strike.

What criticism has this practice received?

Human rights organizations question the legality of the program and the conditions of deportees in third countries. They criticize the lack of due process, limited access to legal assistance, and sending people to destinations where they have never lived and have no connections.