Government rejects St. Mary housing plan for third-country nationals as arrival date stays unclear

The Government of Jamaica has pushed back against reports that third-country nationals whose immigration cases are still before United States authorities would be placed at a property in St. Mary while their matters are resolved.

In a Saturday interview with TVJ News, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang said no such nationals are in St. Mary now and that there is no plan to house any of them at an institution there. He insisted St. Mary was never under consideration, adding that officials would prefer sites close to transport links. When asked which locations are being reviewed, he said that work rests with technical staff handling the migration operation and that he is not personally scouting areas.

Chang said accommodation would likely involve a commercial facility. If a private residence were used, surrounding communities would be consulted. He noted that if the International Organization for Migration identifies and leases a hotel, that would be a business arrangement. He stressed that the migrants would be in transition and would not be held in detention, and that IOM would work with Jamaica on suitable arrangements.

Uncertainty remains over when the first group of 25 under the programme might arrive. Asked about timing, Chang said he could not say, citing legal processing, accommodation planning, coordination with the sending government, and standard due diligence.

Separately, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie accused some councilors and other local representatives of politically motivated criticism of the Government’s drain-cleaning and road-repair work. Speaking in St. James on Friday during the handover of cleanup and restoration grants, he said local authorities receive roughly $600 million to $700 million each month from the Ministry of Finance, allocated by road numbers across parishes. He added that municipalities also raise their own revenue, noting that local authorities approved more than $64.5 billion in plans last year.

Nine months after Manchester High School student Jaden Smith vanished, relatives and supporters marched through Mandeville on Saturday morning wearing purple shirts bearing his photograph. Participants called on police to revisit the case and share updates with the public. Jaden’s mother said sleepless nights and grief have not shaken her belief that he may still be found, and she urged anyone with information to contact the nearest police station. Supporters also travelled from the Cayman Islands to join the demonstration. Police say investigations continue and ask anyone who can assist to contact a station or Crime Stop.

Advocates used the International Beauty Expo at the National Arena in St. Andrew to renew pressure for menstrual leave and wider access to sanitary products. Shelly-Ann Weeks, founder and executive director of Her Flow Foundation, said menstrual health is still sidelined in workplaces, schools, and businesses. She described situations where workers find no pads or tampons available, and said period poverty affects many girls, with about 44% of Jamaican girls lacking access to menstrual products or the means to obtain them. That gap, she said, can affect school attendance and push some toward unsafe alternatives. Her Flow Foundation is working with the Government on a pilot project. Weeks urged policymakers to consider menstrual leave, noting that other countries offer between one and five days, sometimes with or without medical certification. The expo opened on Friday and ends on Sunday.