Gov't confirms talks with US to accept third-country nationals

 

The government has confirmed a story first reported by The Gleaner that it is in negotiations with the Trump administration to accept non-Jamaican nationals arrested by the US government as part of its massive immigration crackdown.

 

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang confirmed that Jamaica has an agreement to accept third-country nationals (TCNs) from the United States. 

 

The US government has been urging a number of countries to accept immigrants who are in the country illegally and some convicted for serious crimes. 

 

A number of countries have rejected the offer by the Trump administration. 

 

But in his statement, Dr. Chang sought to assure the public that the safety and security of Jamaica and its people, as well as the country's obligations under international law, have guided every step of the discussions on the memorandum of understanding between Jamaica and the US government. 

 

According to Dr. Chang, the individuals who are scheduled to be transferred under the agreement are not being brought to Jamaica as permanent migrants.

 

He argued that foreign nationals are being facilitated through a structured process to transit through Jamaica to a third territory, including return to their home countries, and insisted that Jamaica is not opening its borders for an uncontrolled migration programme. 

 

The MOU, he said, is the outcome of negotiations between two sovereign partners, adding that it was not an automatic acceptance of any proposal by the Americans. 

 

He said Jamaica's technical teams engaged in detailed discussions with their US counterparts to ensure that the framework included the necessary safeguards and protections for Jamaica. 

 

Dr. Chang stressed that at no point did Jamaica compromise its sovereignty or ignore its duty to the Jamaican people. It also does not create an automatic obligation for Jamaica to accept any individual, and either country retains the ability to terminate the arrangement. 

 

Importantly, there will be no transfers until both countries have agreed on the required operational procedures for orderly implementation. 

 

Jamaica will retain the authority to reject any individual proposed for transfer on any flight. 

 

Prior health screening, identity verification and criminal record checks and clearance from the National Intelligence Bureau will be key requirements before any individual is considered for acceptance, according to the security minister. 

 

Dr. Chang sought to make it clear that individuals with criminal antecedents will not be accepted under this arrangement, as Jamaica's security considerations remain paramount. 

 

Under the agreement, 25 individuals will be transferred to Jamaica every two weeks, but this is subject to important operational safeguard. Where the number of individuals pending transfer or remaining in Jamaica exceeds a threshold of 10 people, the process will be paused until conditions are reviewed and normalised. This is to ensure that there is no more than 10 TCNs remaining in Jamaica within any 30-day window. 

 

The government has also insisted that all actions under this arrangement comply with the domestic laws of both countries and applicable international obligations, including respect for human rights. 

 

The security minister said lessons were taken from similar arrangements entered into by countries where terms were tailored based on individual national circumstances, laws and security considerations.

 

In the meantime, Dr. Chang has denied that Jamaica has agreed to accept 10,000 non-Jamaican nationals arrested by the US government. 

 

"What we are discussing and what I have agreed to is this whole question of third country nationals that may have to transition through Jamaica. The numbers are small. They have negotiated with a number of countries in the Caribbean - Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, St. Kitts, Antigua, and others," he pointed out. 

 

"Essentially, it's that those who are going into United States as illegal immigrants, before they stay there to appeal for asylum, they will send them to a third country where they will be sent on to their country afterwards.... We are looking at maybe the numbers involved will be under 50 per fortnight," said Dr. Chang, who reiterated that it will be "transitional moment for a small number of migrants".