NEW YORK, USA — Several prominent members of the Jamaican community here have expressed opposition to the Government’s plan to enter a third-country nationals (TCNs) agreement with the United States.
Under the deal Jamaica will accept no more than 25 TCNs from the US over two-week intervals with the agreement paused once more than 10 are on the island.
But the issue is raising concerns among Jamaicans in the US with many calling for the Government to make public the full details including whatever benefits the country is likely to derive from the arrangements.
Third country removals send people that the US wants out of its territory to countries other than their own, even if people have never been there before, have no connections in the country, and don’t speak the language.
But Jamaica’s Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang has indicated that Jamaica will insist that anyone coming to the island must speak English and have not been convicted of any crimes.
Some TCN agreements expressly mention financial payments. For example, the Government of Eswatini agreed to accept up to 160 TCNs removed from the US, in exchange for US$5.1 million, “to build its border and migration management capacity”.
