‘Nothing Is Being Hidden’: Government Finalises TCN Deal With US — But Public Still Can’t See Agreement

Jamaica has moved closer to implementing its third-country nationals (TCN) arrangement with the United States, but the Government is keeping the actual bilateral agreement out of the public domain. Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith confirmed on Wednesday that operating procedures have been finalised, including safeguards limiting the arrangement to a maximum of 25 TCNs every two weeks. However, she said the US has not agreed to release the underlying agreement, insisting that “there’s nothing being hidden per se”.

The development comes months after Jamaica signed the MOU with Washington to allow certain people transferred from the US to transit through the island while arrangements are made for onward travel to their home countries or another destination. The Government has stressed that the programme is not a settlement scheme, and that people with criminal antecedents will not be accepted. The US is also expected to fund the arrangement, while the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) will support the TCNs during their stay and facilitate their return.

Still, the decision not to publish the agreement is likely to remain a major point of public interest. Johnson Smith said the document is a bilateral arrangement and that the US has not agreed to its release, while noting that sensitive bilateral and security agreements can receive different treatment under Jamaica’s Access to Information framework. The minister nevertheless assured the public that relevant and material provisions have been shared. The Government has also negotiated a safeguard under which the arrangement would be suspended if 10 TCNs apply to remain in Jamaica through asylum or other humanitarian procedures.

For now, there is still no confirmed start date. The IOM is conducting its own assessment and coordinating with Jamaica’s immigration, security and other relevant agencies before implementation begins. That leaves Jamaica with a finalised operational framework, but without a publicly available copy of the agreement that governs it.