Jamaica Says Sovereignty Will Be Protected

Jamaica’s government has moved to reassure the public that ongoing discussions with the United States regarding the temporary transit of third-country nationals will not undermine the country’s sovereignty or result in the large-scale relocation of migrants to the island.

National Security and Peace Minister Dr. Horace Chang said reports suggesting Jamaica could accept up to 10,000 deportees from the United States were inaccurate, stressing that the proposed arrangement is tightly controlled and limited in scope.

According to Chang, the initiative is based on a Memorandum of Understanding rather than a binding agreement. He noted that the arrangement will not take effect until both countries complete operational guidelines and procedures governing its implementation.

“Jamaica’s national interest has remained at the centre of the discussions,” Chang said, adding that the country is under no automatic obligation to accept any individual and retains the right to refuse transfers. Either side may also terminate the arrangement at any time.

Under the proposed framework, no more than 25 individuals would be in Jamaica at any given time. Fewer than 50 people would arrive every two weeks for temporary processing before being transferred onward, primarily to their home countries. Chang emphasized that only non-criminal migrants would be considered and that all programme costs would be covered by the United States.

The minister said the arrangement is intended solely as a transit mechanism and does not involve the permanent settlement of migrants in Jamaica. He added that the programme has been developed with support from the International Organization for Migration and forms part of a wider regional effort already adopted by several Caribbean nations, including Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia.

Education Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon said the initiative originated with Washington, which approached Jamaica about participating in the Third Country Nationals programme. She also sought to distinguish the arrangement from separate discussions on skilled labour mobility, saying the two issues have been confused in public debate.

Chang said negotiations involved several government agencies, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Security, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Attorney General’s Office.

Officials maintain that the programme is temporary, subject to strict controls and will not alter the immigration status of individuals passing through Jamaica.

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