Gov't seeks to stave off criticisms it failed to evacuate students in Ukraine

The government is seeking to stave off public criticisms that it failed to adequately help Jamaican students now stranded in Ukraine amid a Russian invasion.

Twenty-six Jamaican students, some being housed in bomb shelters, remain in the eastern European country.

READ: Several Jamaican students in Ukraine relocate to bomb shelter

Some of the students have said they did not evacuate because they could not afford to repay a loan the Foreign Affairs Ministry had offered.

Last week The Gleaner first reported that the students were being offered travel loans to leave Ukraine.

READ: Gov't offers travel loans to Jamaican students in Ukraine

In a statement on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith confirmed that loans were proposed.

“On 12th February 2022, our offer of assistance was communicated to the students by our Embassy in Berlin, in the form of a loan for airfare to Jamaica, whereby the government would book and pay for the tickets for their return to Jamaica. Although seven students had requested assistance, ultimately, they decided not to go this route,” Johnson Smith said in a statement.

However, speaking on Nationwide radio on Thursday evening, Robert Morgan, the minister with responsibility for information said enough details were not provided.

“It was imprecise communication that did not reflect the full reality of what took place,” he said, adding that there have been weeks of correspondence with the students outlining the actions of the government.

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