The group of 40 Haitians landed by boat in East Portland on Sunday.
Founder of Freedom Imaginaries, Malene Alleyne, who is advocating for the rights of Haitians fleeing their war-torn homeland to Jamaica, says she is hoping the government will give consideration to offering asylum to the latest batch of Haitians who landed on the island on the weekend.
The 40 Haitians - men, women and children, including an infant - landed by boat near Ross Craig in East Portland on Sunday.
The group of Haitians was picked up by the police who were supported by members of the Jamaica Defence Force. They were later transported to a holding area at the Castle Police Station, near Priestman's River in the parish where they underwent screening and medical checkup.
The Haitians claimed they were fleeing persecution, gang warfare and sexual violence in their country, which has been under siege by criminal gangs.
They also claimed that gangsters are actively engaged in murder and plundering throughout sections of Haiti, including the capital Port-au-Prince.
Since 2024 approximately 220 Haitians fleeing their homeland have landed in Jamaica but most of them have been returned under a rapid repatriation programme by the Ministry of National Security.
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