Jamaica has signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. to accept up to 25 third-country migrants every two weeks as part of the Trump administration's controversial deportation policy. The deal, which Jamaica's opposition criticizes for its secrecy and risk, is similar to others in the Caribbean. The policy has seen over 19,000 people deported and faces legal challenges in the U.S.
Jamaica third-country deportation agreement
- ▪Jamaica will host no more than 10 migrants at a time while arranging their onward travel to another country or their home nation
- ▪Jamaica will not accept individuals with criminal backgrounds
- ▪Under the agreement, Jamaica will accept up to 25 deportees from countries other than Jamaica every two weeks
- ▪The deported migrants sent to Jamaica will not be placed in detention
- ▪Jamaica signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to accept third-country deportees
- ▪The U.S. government will cover all costs associated with the arrangement
- ▪Jamaica's National Security Minister Horace Chang described the arrangement as a "structured, managed process" for transiting foreign nationals, not permanent resettlement
- ▪Security Minister Horace Chang said the deal was an opportunity to uphold a "healthy bilateral relationship" with the U.S.
U.S. third-country removal policy
- ▪The Trump administration has deported more than 19,000 people to third countries with which they may have no personal ties
- ▪A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated the deportations are part of the "largest deportation operation in history."
- ▪A U.S. federal district court ruled the third-country removal policy unlawful in February 2026, but it remains enforced pending appeal
- ▪These deportees have been sent to more than 20 nations, with most going to Mexico
Caribbean diplomatic fragmentation
- ▪The Dominican Republic, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and Guyana have all entered into varying third-country deportation agreements with the U.S.
- ▪Several Caribbean governments have entered into deportation agreements with the U.S. to avoid potential economic penalties or travel restrictions
Orville Etoria deportation case
- ▪In Eswatini, Etoria was indefinitely detained in a maximum-security prison before being repatriated to Jamaica after two months of diplomatic intervention
- ▪Orville Etoria, a Jamaican citizen who lived in the U.S. for nearly 50 years, was mistakenly deported to Eswatini in July 2025
Opposition party criticism
- ▪The PNP argued the agreement puts Jamaica’s internal security, international standing, and social infrastructure at severe risk
- ▪Jamaica’s opposition People’s National Party (PNP) accused the government of a lack of public transparency regarding the negotiations
Human rights advocacy concerns
- ▪Human rights groups have criticized the U.S. practice of third-country deportation as inhumane
- ▪Critics argue the U.S. has sent migrants to countries where they could face persecution, violating principles of international refugee law
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