Diplomacy

Jamaica accepts first flight of third-country deportations from US

AI SUMMARY

Jamaica has received its first group of 22 third-country deportees from the United States under a bilateral transit agreement.

Twenty-two deportees from the US arrived at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, on Tuesday.
The arrivals mark Jamaica's first third-country deportations under an expanding set of international agreements implemented by US President Donald Trump.
Media reports indicate the deportees were boarded onto a bus and taken to an undisclosed location upon arrival.
At least 35 countries have entered into third-country deportation agreements with the US.
The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration earmarked roughly $410m to support third-country deportation efforts.
Jamaica signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding in June to receive third-country deportations as a transit arrangement.
Jamaica's government has pledged not to accept any deportees with criminal records.
The Jamaican government stated that care for the deportees will be supported by the International Organization for Migration and will not be funded by Jamaica.
Jamaica plans to transfer the deportees to their home countries or other destinations after arrival.
Opposition leaders in Jamaica criticized the deal as a threat to national security and questioned why the agreement was kept secret.
Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith defended the arrangement, stating that the US did not agree to make the deal public.
Legal challenges are ongoing in the US regarding third-country deportations over due process concerns and potential dangers faced by deportees in recipient countries.