Jamaica

On June 10, 2026, Jamaica signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States to receive third-country nationals.  The Security Minister Horace Chang has stated that the agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding. Jamaica will be a “transit country”, transferring up to 25 people every two weeks, and hosting no more than 10 migrants at once. The Security Minister stated that the United States would support all related costs and arrangements, and noted how people with criminal backgrounds would not be accepted. The details of the reception are unclear. Jamaica does not have an official asylum system.

A local news outlet reported that U.S. threats to revoke the visas of Jamaican nationals prompted the Jamaican government to approve a third-country transfer agreement. According to the report, U.S. officials, frustrated by Jamaica's slow progress in negotiating the agreement, threatened visa revocations to pressure the government into signing it. In July 2026, hundreds of protestors gathered to challenge the removal agreement, citing transparency and security concerns.

On June 23, reports indicated that at least one Jamaican national had been removed to Equatorial Guinea. On July 9, additional reports stated that Jamaican nationals had been deported to Eswatini, including a 64-year-old pastor whose family said he had no criminal convictions in the United States and had been granted protection under the Convention Against Torture in 2016. One Jamaican national who was sent to Eswatini in 2025 has since been repatriated.

The United States is Jamaica’s largest trading partner. Jamaica exports many products tariff-free to the United States. Many U.S. firms also operate in Jamaica.