Jamaica Receives First Group of Third-Country Deportees from the U.S. Under New Agreement

Jamaica has received its inaugural flight of third-country deportations from the United States, a development stemming from an expansion of international agreements under President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, 22 individuals deported from the U.S. arrived at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica. Reports indicate they were subsequently transported by bus to an undisclosed location.

These deportations, which frequently involve non-citizens with no connection to their designated destinations, have drawn significant criticism from human rights organizations and advocates concerned about their legality. Jamaica joins a growing list of nations participating in third-country deportations as part of the Trump administration's initiative to enact the most extensive mass deportation campaign in U.S. history. According to Third Country Deportation Watch, an advocacy project linked to Refugees International and Human Rights First, at least 35 countries have established third-country deportation agreements with the U.S. The Washington Post reported last month that the Trump administration has allocated approximately $410 million to support these efforts.

Jamaica formalized its participation by signing a bilateral memorandum of understanding in June. Under this agreement, Jamaica will facilitate the transfer of deportees to their home countries or other designated destinations post-arrival. The Jamaican government has also committed to not accepting deportees with criminal records. In a joint statement, Jamaica’s Ministry of National Security and Peace and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade clarified, “The government reiterates that this is a transit arrangement intended to facilitate the return of Third Country Nationals to their country of origin or other receiving countries.” The statement also noted that the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations entity, will provide support for the care of deportees, and that “The arrangement will not be funded by the Government of Jamaica.”

Conversely, opposition leaders in Jamaica have voiced strong objections to the deportation deal, characterizing it as a threat to national security and questioning the lack of public debate surrounding the agreement. Fitz Jackson, the opposition spokesperson on national security, stated, “Jamaicans are being asked to trust a secret document that touches their security, their communities and their public services.” Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith responded to Jackson’s concerns, asserting that all questions have been addressed and indicating that the U.S. has not consented to making the deal public. She further explained on social media, “As I explained before, some countries have agreed to receive criminals, we have not. Some countries have had their agreements made public, but our partner has not agreed for this one to be.”

Legal challenges against third-country deportations are currently underway in the U.S., with advocates arguing that deportees are being removed without due process. Critics also contend that these deportations may send immigrants to countries where they could face danger, citing examples like South Sudan, which is experiencing conflict or has faced accusations of severe human rights abuses. Opponents suggest that third-country deportations serve as an indirect method to bypass court protection orders that might prevent the U.S. government from returning certain immigrants to their home countries due to fears of violence or persecution. However, in some instances, the third country has subsequently deported the individual to the country specified in the U.S. protection order. A February report by Democrats on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee quoted an anonymous official who stated that the objective of these extensive deportations is to instill fear, with the intention of threatening individuals by suggesting they could be “dropped in the middle of nowhere” to “scare people.”