PNP demands tabling of US migrant agreement in Parliament

The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is pressing the Government to immediately table its Third Country Nationals (TCNs) agreement with the United States in Parliament.

The Opposition’s latest demand follows yesterday’s announcement by the Government that the first group of nationals will arrive in Jamaica “shortly”.

It indicated that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has agreed to commence support services for these individuals and that, consequently, steps are now being taken to facilitate their arrival in the country.

“The Government reiterates that this is a transit arrangement intended to facilitate the return of Third Country Nationals to their countries of origin or other receiving countries, with the support of the IOM, which has been formally engaged to provide assistance to the individuals while they are in Jamaica and to facilitate their onward movement,” the statement read in part.

“The Government further reiterates that the arrangement will not be funded by the Government of Jamaica, that no third country national with criminal antecedents will be permitted to transit through Jamaica under this programme; and further, that the number of persons anticipated will be a maximum of 25 persons per fortnight. Furthermore, as previously outlined, the MOU provides for its suspension if 10 Third Country Nationals apply to remain in Jamaica through asylum applications or other humanitarian processes,” it added.

In a release today, the PNP again called for the TCN agreement to be made public.

“It is disgraceful and unthinkable that the Government could announce in a perfunctory manner that the first flight would arrive in Jamaica shortly, without tabling the full agreement in Parliament.”

Citing confidentiality, Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith indicated last month that the Government would not make the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Jamaica and the United States public, stating that the United States had not agreed to release the document while underscoring that the agreement is a bilateral arrangement.

Antigua and Barbuda are among the countries that have released the texts of their MOUs with the US Government.

Opposition Spokesperson on National Security Fitz Jackson argued that the Government is asking Jamaicans to accept an arrangement that they have not been allowed to see.

“We have not been told where these individuals will be housed, under what security conditions, or who will be responsible for monitoring them. Before a single flight lands, Parliament must see this agreement.”

Among the details the PNP insists Jamaicans should know are the legal liabilities Jamaica assumes and what happens if a receiving country refuses to accept its nationals.

Although the Government has said the country will not bear any costs for the programme, the Opposition still wants to know how the costs of security, health and logistical support will be met.

The PNP said the Government must also define what it calls a “transit arrangement” and provide full details of the persons who will be arriving “on a batch-by-batch basis”.

“It is outrageous that Jamaicans are getting truncated information through sporadic press statements from sundry Ministries and not through a full and frank disclosure in the Parliament,” the PNP asserted.

Donna Scott-Mottley, Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign, Regional and Diaspora Affairs, also insisted that the country should know more.

“Jamaicans deserve full transparency on an agreement with serious implications for our national security, our international obligations and our reputation as a country that upholds the rule of law. [This] is policy by press release, and that is unacceptable on a matter of this magnitude,” Scott-Mottley said.

While noting that it supports safe and orderly migration and values Jamaica’s partnership with the United States, the PNP said it cannot support an arrangement of this nature being implemented without parliamentary scrutiny.

“The Government must table the full agreement and make a statement to Parliament immediately.”

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