KINGSTON, Jamaica, Oct 31, CMC – Ten of the 22 persons who arrived in Jamaica earlier this month under the Third Country Nationals (TCN) arrangement have departed.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, noted that one person has requested to remain in Jamaica and discussions continue with the others about their process for departure.
The Governments of Jamaica and the United States (US), earlier this year, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to facilitate the temporary reception of individuals in Jamaica before return to their countries of origin.
It is a transit arrangement with the support of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which has been formally engaged to provide assistance to the individuals while they are in Jamaica and to facilitate their onward movement.
The number of persons anticipated will be not exceed 25 per fortnight.
Senator Johnson Smith reminded that no TCN with criminal antecedents will be permitted to transit through Jamaica under the programme.
“Our country has negotiated arrangements whereby persons with criminal antecedents will not be sent to Jamaica. And what do I mean? Other than having broken the United States immigration laws, that is, having illegally entered the US, they are not criminals. Those are the persons who are sent to transit Jamaica,” she pointed out.
She noted that the TCNs are vetted by both the US and Jamaica before they enter the island.
Furthermore, the MOU provides for suspension of the arrangement if 10 TCNs apply to remain in Jamaica through asylum applications or other humanitarian processes.
CMC/ed/2026