General

MBABANE – Following the viral video of a liSwati man who reportedly arrived alone in Dublin, Ireland without plans, money or a place to stay, Minister Pholile Shakantu has issued a stern warning to emaSwati.

The video has exposed how some emaSwati travel to other countries to seek asylum, hoping to secure accommodation and presumably a better life.
It highlights both personal desperation and the broader challenges emaSwati migrants face when migrating without a pre-arranged support network.

Human trafficking

It also has the potential of exposing emaSwati to threats of human trafficking.

The video clip has been aired on ‘No Risk No Reward’, which is an Irish commentary and discussion platform that documents shenanigans and skulduggery, mainly in Ireland.

It mixes video breakdowns of current events with longer-form guest discussions, often focusing on political, legal and social issues from an investigative or critical perspective.

Responding to questions from this publication, the minister said it has come to the attention of the Government of Eswatini that some emaSwati are travelling to Ireland and other countries under false pretences, claiming political persecution and instability in Eswatini as reasons for seeking asylum.

“Firstly, I must unequivocally discourage this practice. Making false claims of political persecution or instability undermines the integrity of genuine asylum seekers worldwide and poses significant risks for those engaging in it. Individuals may find themselves entangled in complex legal processes, facing potential deportation and jeopardising their future prospects for legal employment elsewhere,” the minister said.

She also said: “Furthermore and most alarmingly, such vulnerable individuals become easy targets for human trafficking networks, who exploit their desperation for personal gain.”

Commentary details

In the video, the host of the commentary details that the man arrived in Dublin having flown from Eswatini.
He is said to have claimed that he had problems in the country and hoped to get accommodation in Dublin despite having no plans on what to do now that he is in Ireland.

Sharing the details, the host presents that when people go to Ireland, it could be for work, school, tourism or to relocate permanently, but that others can be just chancers because Ireland is regarded as the land of milk and honey.

The host relays that the chancers are usually of the belief that once they arrive in Ireland, they might secure themselves accommodation, food and other basic needs.

He provides a picture of the costs of flights from the Kingdom of Eswatini to Dublin, including how one has to fly from Eswatini to Johannesburg, South Africa, which is the first part of the trip.

“Then from Johannesburg, you need to take a long flight to Dubai Airport and from there, you fly on to Dublin.  So it is reasonable to assume that if you are taking a trip like that, that you have identified yourself along the way and of course, that you have got the means to pay for this to get from A to B, to C and then D, which is Dublin.”

Looking for accommodation

The host then begins the story of the so-called liSwati, saying he has just arrived, visited the International Protection Office and is looking for accommodation, and has been told that he will be given a hotel for a few days which may, however, not last.

He then shares an interaction the man gets involved in at a spot where most go for free food, especially in times when the cost of living is high.

Full article available in our paper.

Ambassador of Ireland Patrick Empey during his courtesy visit to Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu in November last year. (Courtesy pic)