One of the 22 non-Jamaican migrants sent to Jamaica by the United States on 13 October has left the island, while another has expressed a wish to remain, according to an update reported by The Rio Times.
Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith gave the update at a press briefing on 27 October. The arrivals form part of an arrangement under which Washington sends third-country nationals through Jamaica for onward travel. For Jamaica, the arrangement has meant receiving and processing the group, granting them visitor status and handing them over to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for accommodation and travel arrangements.
Johnson Smith said discussions were continuing with the person who wanted to remain. The briefing did not identify the person who had departed or disclose their destination. It also provided no detailed update on the other 20 members of the group.
The first flight brought 15 men and seven women to Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston at about 1.45pm on 13 October. According to Jamaica Information Service reporting cited by The Rio Times, police, customs, health and immigration officers processed the arrivals. Identity checks took place before they left the aircraft, and foreign-language translators assisted with processing.
National Security Minister Horace Chang described the operation as incident-free. The group subsequently moved to accommodation selected by the IOM, a United Nations agency. Their accommodation location was not disclosed.
Jamaica and the United States signed the memorandum of understanding governing the arrangement on 10 June. Jamaican officials describe it as a transit programme. Under the terms outlined publicly, Jamaica can receive no more than 25 people every two weeks, and people with criminal records are excluded. The Jamaican Government says it does not pay for the programme.
People who wish to remain may apply for asylum or another humanitarian status. The memorandum provides for suspension if 10 people apply to stay through those routes. The report describes one person as having expressed a wish to remain; it does not establish that a formal application has been submitted.
The full agreement remains unpublished. Johnson Smith has said the United States has not agreed to its publication, while the opposition People’s National Party has called for it to be laid before Parliament. At the time of the reported update, no second group or further flight date had been announced.
