No criminals among TCNs ­­– Marks

Persons with criminal convictions will not be allowed in Jamaica under the Third Country Nationals (TCNs) arrangement, according to Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador Audrey Marks.

Jamaica has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US that will provide for TCNs transferred from the US to transit through Jamaica to their final destination. The US would fund their stay, and the intake is limited to a maximum of 25 individuals every two weeks, and the stay is expected for seven days, maximum 14 days.

“While the MOU has been signed, its full operationalisation is not yet complete. So the full information on how it would work is still being worked out. But what is non-negotiable is that Jamaica is not and would not accept criminal persons. It is plainly inconsistent with the facts to suggest that Jamaica would deliberately bring criminals into the country at the very time the Ministry of National Security and Peace is reporting historic gains in public safety,” Marks said.

She was speaking at a corporate consultation hosted by the Institute for Workforce Education and Development yesterday at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St Andrew.

She noted that at the close of 2025, Jamaica recorded 674 homicides, the first time in more than 32 years that the annual total for murders fell below 700 persons. Also, as of June 29, 2026, murders were down 23 per cent, placing Jamaica on course for one of the safest years in its modern history.

“It is, therefore, counterintuitive and makes no sense that a Government working to secure communities, reduce crime, strengthen border security, and protect Jamaica’s national interests would agree to any arrangement that would undermine these security gains,” Marks said.

“The TCN arrangement must, therefore, be understood for what it is: a limited, controlled and still-to-be-operationalised arrangement, not a programme to bring criminals into Jamaica,” she pointed out.