Jamaica to accept third-country deportees under US pact with no payment expected

Jamaica will not be paid under a bilateral arrangement with the United States to accept non-Jamaican deportees from American soil, Deputy Prime Minister and National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House, Dr Chang said the memorandum of understanding was signed the previous Wednesday. Under the deal, Jamaica will accept up to 25 third-country nationals every two weeks, though transfers will not begin immediately.

The arrangement has drawn scrutiny, but Dr Chang described it as part of Jamaica's relationship with one of its strongest bilateral partners. He said the two countries maintain agreements and exchanges across security, the economy and other areas, and that working with Washington when there is a need reflects that partnership.

"There'll be nobody detained. Nobody in detention," he said, adding that the transition of arrivals into Jamaica is a government-to-government understanding between allied states. The International Organization for Migration is supporting the arrangement, which he described as a peaceful agreement.

Dr Chang said negotiations are still underway. Professionals from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of National Security and the Attorney General's Office remain engaged on the terms, while talks on accommodation for the nationals continue within the IOM.

He stressed that the figure of 25 will not be exceeded. "At no time will the number exceed 25 because we have the right to refuse anyone at any time," he said. Either party may also terminate the entire agreement without long-term notice.

Asked what Jamaica gains from the pact, Dr Chang said that question is not relevant to the understanding, which he said still lacks a fixed endpoint and remains flexible. Separately, he noted that Jamaica has the expertise and staff to manage the entry of up to 100 Jamaican deportees from the United States.