Jamaica limits US migrant transit to 25 as Chang dismisses 10,000-deportee reports

National Security Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Horace Chang has rejected reports that Jamaica is preparing to receive about 10,000 illegal immigrants from the United States, following public concern over a recently announced agreement to facilitate the transit of third-country nationals through the island.

Speaking at Wednesday's post-Cabinet press briefing, Dr. Chang said Jamaica will accept only 25 third-country nationals at a time while procedures are finalised. He said leaked information suggesting negotiations for 10,000 deportees was false and stressed that the arrangement is a transit programme, not permanent resettlement.

"There is no such discussion," he said of the 10,000 figure. He explained that persons apprehended at the United States border would undergo routine checks before transiting Jamaica, with the United States covering airfare for return home. He said the return rate has been about 94%, though a few have opted to remain. If all 25 in a group chose to stay, he said, the programme would stop immediately.

Separately, a student from Port Antonio High School has been arrested in connection with a recent stabbing, and a teacher from Ascot High School was shot and killed during the weekend amid reported gun violence. Education Minister Senator Dr. Dana Morris Dixon said exposure to violence at home and in school communities is harming students' learning and development.

Opposition spokesman on national security and St. Catherine South MP Fitz Jackson said he was encouraged by the Court of Appeals granting him leave to challenge a Supreme Court ruling in his long-running legal battle over check encashment fees. He said the decision keeps alive a case that could have significant implications for banking customers.

At the 11th biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference 2026 in Montego Bay, St. James, government and opposition leaders outlined competing visions for overseas engagement. State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade with responsibility for diaspora affairs, Orlando Terrence, said the Government is shifting focus beyond remittances toward investment, skills transfer and knowledge sharing.

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness said unemployment has fallen from about 13% a decade ago to roughly 3.5%, leaving employers struggling to find skilled workers. He also said inflation has returned to the targeted 4% to 6% band after COVID-19 disruptions. Opposition Leader Mark Golding called for greater diaspora representation on public boards and urged the Government to prioritise communities still recovering from Hurricane Melissa.

Jamaica's Consul General to the Southeast United States, Oliver Mair, told the conference that engagement has been strong, with more than 80 companies in the marketplace and oversubscribed attendance. He said diaspora groups mobilised quickly after Hurricane Melissa, with the southern United States region channelling more than US$40 million through organisations including Global Empowerment Mission and Food for the Poor. He reported growing interest in real estate, renewable energy, business start-ups and youth participation, and noted a diaspora day of service involving more than 15 community projects.