Illegal immigration among agenda items for Rubio's visit to Jamaica

The US Department of State has disclosed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Jamaica this week is expected to "advance President Trump’s US foreign policy priorities in the Caribbean" with illegal immigration among the matters to be discussed.

In a statement on Monday, the department said Rubio will also be travelling to Suriname and Guyana during his March 26 to 27 visit to the region.

It says, while in Jamaica, Rubio will also hold bilateral engagements with heads of state from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti.

The State Department says Rubio’s engagements with Caribbean officials "will promote regional cooperation to end illegal immigration, counter transnational organised crime, strengthen regional actions to address Haiti’s political and security challenges, and strengthen the United States’ economic partnerships with Caribbean countries."

Rubio is expected to meet with Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, among other government officials.

Rubio is set to visit Jamaica weeks after threatening visa revocations for CARICOM states that fail to end their Cuban medical programmes.

Recently, Johnson Smith asserted that Jamaica’s Cuban medical cooperation programme is “not an example of trafficking”, amid the US visa restrictions on officials from countries that engage Cuban healthcare workers.

Johnson Smith said a review of the programme was initiated before international scrutiny emerged and that improvements are being made to its administration.

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