By Zoila Palma: Jamaica received its first group of third-country nationals deported from the United States on Tuesday, October 13, marking the start of a closely scrutinized bilateral agreement that will allow the Caribbean nation to serve as a transit point for migrants being returned to their home countries or transferred elsewhere.
The group consisted of 22 adults, including seven women, who arrived at Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport and were quickly processed before being transported by bus under police escort to an undisclosed location, NBC reports.
Jamaican authorities did not allow media access to the arrivals, but said procedures were being followed to ensure the arrangement is implemented in a “safe, orderly and lawful manner.”
The programme operates under a memorandum of understanding signed between Jamaica and the United States in June 2026.
Under the agreement, Jamaica will accept a maximum of 25 migrants every two weeks, with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) responsible for coordinating housing and logistics through its Assisted Voluntary Return programme. Jamaican authorities maintain that the arrangement will not be funded by the government and that individuals with criminal backgrounds will not be permitted to transit through the country.
However, the agreement has sparked political controversy, with opposition figures and transparency advocates questioning why the memorandum was not presented to Parliament and demanding greater disclosure of its terms.
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