Story perspectives

Jamaica, U.S. Sign MOU to Host 25 Biweekly TCNs

6/19/2026

Summary

Jamaica Signs MOU

Jamaica and U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding on June 10 to host Third-Country Nationals, capping arrivals at 25 people biweekly, set by Minister Dr. Horace Chang.
The United States will cover accommodation costs, while applicants must have no criminal record and pass health, identity and security checks.
TCNs will be moved onward while either side may end the MOU, ending the programme if any of the first 25 obtain asylum.

Summary

Court Declares Unlawful

A U.S. federal district court ruled the third-country removal policy unlawful in February 2026, but the policy stays in effect while appeals proceed.
The Dominican Republic, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and Guyana have each signed agreements to receive migrants under the scheme.
Human-rights groups call the practice inhumane and say it breaches international refugee-law standards.
Critics note that the court’s decision has not stopped transfers, exposing a legal-policy disconnect.

Summary

U.S. Imposes Transfer

The MOU requires a U.S. flight manifest 72 hours before each transfer and gives Jamaica 36 hours to respond.
Transfers would land at Norman Manley International Airport with U.S. Homeland Security personnel accompanying deportees.
A safeguard would halt transfers if ten or more deportees stay in Jamaica over 30 days.
Washington may use foreign-assistance funding for the scheme, which Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned could strain Jamaica’s capacity to manage returnees.

History

Historical Context

After the United States launched a Third-Country Resettlement Program in 2002, moving about 1,250 asylum seekers to Caribbean partners such as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, legal challenges foreshadowed a 2026 federal court warning that such transfers could violate refugee obligations. The 2024-2026 U.S.–Jamaica MOU now limits arrivals to 25 biweekly and requires 72-hour manifests.

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Jamaica Signs MOU

Jamaica and U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding on June 10 to host Third-Country Nationals, capping arrivals at 25 people biweekly, set by Minister Dr. Horace Chang.
The United States will cover accommodation costs, while applicants must have no criminal record and pass health, identity and security checks.
TCNs will be moved onward while either side may end the MOU, ending the programme if any of the first 25 obtain asylum.

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