Jamaica accepts first flight of third-country deportations from US

Opposition leaders in Jamaica have questioned why the deportation deal with the Trump White House has not been made public.

The Caribbean country of Jamaica has received its first third-country deportations from the United States, as part of an expanding set of international agreements under President Donald Trump.

Media reports indicate they were subsequently boarded onto a bus and taken to an undisclosed location.

But Jamaica is among a growing number of countries to accept third-country deportations, as part of Trump’s effort to implement the largest mass deportation campaign in US history.

The Washington Post reported last month that the Trump administration has earmarked roughly $410m to support such efforts.

The country’s government has also pledged not to accept any deportees with criminal records.

It added that care for the deportees will be supported by the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations organisation.

Opposition leaders in Jamaica, however, spoke out against the deportation, framing the deal as a threat to the island’s security. They also questioned why the agreement had not been debated publicly.

In response to Jackson’s statement, Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith argued that any questions about the deportation deal “have all been answered”. She also indicated that the US has not agreed to make the deal public.

“Some countries have had their agreements made public, but our partner has not agreed for this one to be.”