JAMAICA · MIGRATION
Key Facts
- The count Ten of the 22 non-Jamaicans sent by the United States have left Jamaica.
- The request One person has asked to stay, and talks continue with the others.
- The limit The deal allows no more than 25 arrivals every two weeks.
- The exit clause The deal can be suspended if 10 people apply to remain through asylum.
- The date Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith gave the update on Wednesday 28 October 2026.
Jamaica says 10 of the 22 migrants the United States sent to the island earlier this month have left, and one has asked to stay. Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith gave the update at the government’s post-Cabinet press briefing in Kingston on Wednesday 28 October 2026.
None of the 22 is Jamaican, and the arrangement lets Washington move people who are not citizens of the island through Jamaica on their way home. For US readers, it shows how far Washington is using Caribbean partners to carry out removals.
In Plain English
- Third-country nationals: people who are not citizens of Jamaica or of the United States but are sent through Jamaica.
- MOU: a memorandum of understanding, the agreement between Jamaica and the United States that covers the arrangement.
- IOM: the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations agency that helps migrants during travel.
What Happened
Johnson Smith said that 22 people arrived in Jamaica earlier in October and that 10 have departed. One person has asked to remain in Jamaica, and discussions are continuing with the others about their departure.
The minister said nine more people left on Tuesday 27 October, after the government’s earlier count of one departure. By our count, 12 people remain on the island: 11 whose departures are being arranged, and the one who wants to stay.
What the Deal Says
Jamaica and the United States signed the memorandum of understanding earlier in 2026, and it covers temporary reception in Jamaica before people return to their home countries. The government calls it a transit arrangement, and the IOM has been formally engaged to assist the migrants while they are on the island.
The number of people is expected not to exceed 25 per fortnight. Both governments vet each person before arrival, according to the minister.
Johnson Smith said: “Our country has negotiated arrangements whereby persons with criminal antecedents will not be sent to Jamaica.” She added that, apart from entering the United States illegally, those sent to transit Jamaica are not criminals.
The Suspension Clause
The memorandum allows the arrangement to be suspended if 10 migrants apply to remain in Jamaica through asylum or other humanitarian routes. So far, one person has asked to stay, according to the minister.
That makes each request a test of the transit model. If many people seek protection instead of leaving, the arrangement could stop.
What It Means for You
Americans who follow immigration policy should see the Jamaica arrangement as one of several Caribbean routes that Washington uses for people it cannot easily return home. The text of the agreement has not been published in full by either government.
Travelers to Jamaica face no change in entry rules or flights because of the arrangement. Readers with family in Jamaica can follow the government’s briefings for any change in capacity or timing.
What Is Not Known
The government has not said which countries the 22 people come from, or where the 10 who left have gone. It has not given a precise count of those still waiting to depart.
It is also not known whether a second group is planned. Jamaica has said only that arrivals will not exceed 25 per fortnight.
Connected coverage: read our guides to Jamaica’s key players and Jamaica and geopolitics. For the first report on the arrival, see Jamaica Says 1 of 22 US Deportees Has Left.
More: Latin America and Caribbean news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Migrants Sent by the US Have Left Jamaica?
Jamaica’s foreign minister said on Wednesday 28 October 2026 that 10 of the 22 people have left. One has asked to stay, and talks continue with the others.
Are the Migrants Jamaican?
They are third-country nationals, meaning people who are not Jamaican citizens, sent through Jamaica for temporary reception. They are expected to return to their home countries.
Can the Jamaica Deal Be Stopped?
The agreement allows suspension if 10 people apply to remain in Jamaica through asylum or other humanitarian routes. So far, one person has asked to stay.
Sources: Jamaica Information Service (government), Ten Persons Have Departed Jamaica Under TCN Arrangement, 30 October 2026, reporting the Post-Cabinet Press Briefing of 28 October 2026; Jamaica Information Service, Jamaica signs MOU with US to transition third-country nationals, 18 June 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief