Jamaica Receives First Wave of Third‑Country Deportees from United States

Published On 14 Oct 202614 Oct 2026

Jamaica has accepted its inaugural group of third‑country deportees from the United States, reflecting an expanding network of international agreements initiated during the Trump administration.

On Tuesday, 22 individuals deported from the United States landed at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

According to media reports, the deportees were later placed on a bus and transported to an undisclosed location.

These transfers, which frequently involve individuals lacking any connection to the destination country, have drawn broad criticism from human‑rights organizations that question their legality.

Jamaica joins a rising list of nations accepting third‑country deportations, aligning with the Trump administration’s push for the most extensive deportation effort in U.S. history.

According to Third Country Deportation Watch, an initiative linked to Refugees International and Human Rights First, at least 35 countries have signed third‑country deportation agreements with the United States.

The Washington Post reported last month that the Trump administration has allocated approximately $410 million to support these operations.

In June, Jamaica signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding to accept third‑country deportees, stipulating that individuals will be transferred to their home countries or other destinations after arrival.

The Jamaican government has further pledged not to accept deportees who have criminal records.

The government emphasized that the arrangement is a transit mechanism designed to return third‑country nationals to their countries of origin or other receiving nations, according to a joint statement from Jamaica’s Ministry of National Security and Peace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

It noted that support for the deportees will be provided by the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations agency.

The joint statement added that the Jamaican government will not finance the arrangement.

Opposition leaders in Jamaica criticized the deal, arguing it threatens national security and lamenting the lack of public debate.

“Jamaicans are being asked to trust a secret document that affects their security, communities, and public services,” said Fitz Jackson, the opposition spokesperson on national security.

In response, Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith asserted that all questions regarding the deportation agreement have been addressed and noted that the United States has not agreed to disclose the deal publicly.

“As I explained earlier, some nations have agreed to accept criminals, but we have not,” she wrote on social media.

“While some countries have made their agreements public, our partner has not consented to do the same for this arrangement.”

Legal challenges to third‑country deportations continue in the United States, with advocates contending that deportees are being removed without due process and the constitutional guarantee of a fair hearing.

Critics also warn that such transfers can send immigrants to nations where they may encounter danger.

Certain recipient countries, including South Sudan, are experiencing ongoing conflict or have been accused of serious human‑rights abuses.

Opponents further claim that the program serves as a backdoor to bypass court‑issued protection orders.

These orders can bar the U.S. government from returning certain immigrants to their home countries due to concerns about violence and persecution.

Critics argue that by routing immigrants through third countries, the Trump administration sidesteps these protection orders, although in some instances the third country subsequently returns the deportee to the nation named in the U.S. order.

In a February report by Democrats on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, an anonymous official stated that the aim of these far‑reaching deportations is to instill fear.

“The administration can threaten individuals with being dropped in a remote location,” the official said. “The goal is to frighten people.”

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