Deported

Involuntary Return to Jamaica

Being deported back to Jamaica can be a challenging and overwhelming experience. Whether you have lived abroad for years or are returning under difficult circumstances, understanding the process, your rights, and the support available can help make the transition smoother. This page provides essential information on what to expect upon arrival, the role of government agencies and reintegration challenges. The information is general, but mostly pertains to the experience of being deported from the U.S.

Jamaica has a process for involuntary returning citizens (deportees). There is a Deportation Standard Operating Procedures Guide from 2014, but are these operation procedures followed? All of the information below is questionable as this structure is not what a lot of deportees experience.

Jamaica’s Process for Receiving Deportees

Jamaica has established a structured procedure for handling deportees repatriated from foreign countries. These deportations occur for various reasons but are not always due to a criminal history or lack of documents. The process involves coordination between Jamaican and the foreign countries authorities to ensure a “smooth” transition while addressing security concerns and reintegration “efforts”.

Legal and Institutional Framework

Jamaica’s repatriation process is governed by national immigration laws and international agreements. The key agencies involved in managing deportees include:

Ministry of National Security (MNS): Oversees national security and law enforcement measures related to deportation.

Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA): Verifies identities, processes travel documents, and monitors deportees upon arrival.

Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF): Provides security assistance and monitors high-risk deportees.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT): Facilitates communication between Jamaican and U.S. authorities.

Department of Correctional Services (DCS): Assists in cases where deportees have outstanding legal issues in Jamaica.

National Intelligence Bureau (NIB): Responsible for gathering and analyzing intelligence to support law enforcement and national security efforts.
 
Ministry of Health (MOHW): Handles medical issues and disabilities.

Process of Deportation and Receiving Deportees

Notification from Foreign Authorities:
The government of the returning country informs Jamaica of impending deportations, providing details on individuals, their immigration status, criminal history (if applicable), medical history and expected date of return. At lease 7 days advance notice should be provided when the returning country has decided on deportation for a deportee with a criminal conviction.
Identify and Verify:
Before a deportee can be removed from a foreign country, their identity must first be verified and confirmed by Jamaican authorities. The Jamaican consulate in the deporting country is notified and is responsible for interviewing the deportee and reviewing supporting documents such as a passport, case file, or any other relevant information provided by the deporting country. If the deportation file only includes a birth certificate or no form of identification, the Jamaican consular officer must conduct an in person interview.
Medical Cases:
If a Jamaican awaiting deportation has a serious medical condition, disability, or communicable disease, the Jamaican consulate should be notified in advance through confidential channels. Before deportation, authorities consider the person’s health status, available support from family or friends, and access to medical care in Jamaica. The Ministry of Health must confirm that adequate healthcare is available before approving the deportation.
Criminal Cases:
Criminal records must be provided for deportees who have been convicted of a crime, served a prison sentence, or are witnesses in an ongoing case. This includes serious offenses such as murder, sexual crimes, firearms offenses, human trafficking, terrorism, and financial crimes.
The Jamaican consulate, along with the Ministry of National Security and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), are authorized to receive and review these records for intelligence purposes. The information helps in crime prevention, national security monitoring, and potential prosecution.
For criminal deportees, the deporting country must submit a dossier at least 21 days before removal, including personal details, criminal history, fingerprints, medical records, and local contacts in Jamaica.
Travel Documents
All Jamaicans being involuntarily returned must be issued an Emergency Certificate or Emergency Travel Document (ETD) by the Jamaican consulate, even if they possess a valid or expired passport. The ETD ensures proper documentation for deportation and must be approved before travel arrangements are finalized. If the deportee has a valid or expired Jamaican passport, it must be confiscated and sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) for submission to PICA.
Travel Arrangements and Security Measures:
Deportees are transported on commercial or chartered flights, under the supervision of law enforcement if they are classified as high-risk individuals. As experienced, all detained individuals with deportation orders are treated as high-risk.
Arrival and Processing in Jamaica:
Arrival Location: All charter flights with deportees must land at Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston. Any alternative requires Ministry of National Security (MNS) approval.
Document Handover: Accompanying officers must give travel documents to Immigration Officers upon arrival. After processing, documents are transferred to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
Transportation: NIB arranges police-escorted transport of deportees from the airport to the Reception Centre.
Interview & Profiling: At the Reception Centre, NIB officers conduct interviews and complete Profile Forms, documenting bio-data and other key details.
Security & Immigration Processing: After NIB screening, deportees undergo entry clearance by Immigration and Customs officers.
Risk Assessment and Monitoring:
High-risk deportees, particularly those with criminal backgrounds, may be flagged for ongoing surveillance by law enforcement.
If deportees have pending legal matters in Jamaica, they may be arrested.
Reintegration and Support Services:
Deportees without family support or financial resources may receive assistance from government programs and NGOs focused on reintegration.
Accommodation Support:
If a deportee has no place to stay, an NGO contracted by MNS provides temporary housing.
Those with local accommodation but no address get assistance in contacting relatives.
Medical Assistance: Deportees with mental illness, disabilities, or medical conditions are taken to a medical facility as directed by the Ministry of Health (MOHW).

Theory vs Reality

The official Jamaican government documented procedures for handling deportation and receiving deportees are not how the process actually work. Once you’re detained for deportation, immigration authorities work to remove you while you try to fight it—filing paperwork, seeing a judge, or proving you belong in that country. Many people are detained without committing a crime or having an immigration violation.

When the Jamaican consulate is notified, the deporting country provides what they believe proves you’re Jamaican. The consulate may call or visit the detainee at the detention center, but the idea that they’re ensuring fair treatment is far from the truth. Their only role is to confirm your identity and facilitate your removal, not to help you. Some consulate officers treat detainees with indifference or hostility, as if they are a burden and refuse to visit the deportee when it’s required or requested.

The verification process is basic—they ask for your name, date of birth, birthplace, and parents’ names. If your name and birthdate match their system, you’re confirmed as Jamaican. Not considering the amount of people with very common names and same date of birth. It’s possible for you to give them the wrong date of birth and they will still confirm your identity. They issue a travel document, but you don’t get to keep it to help with getting identification—it’s taken at the airport along with files from the deporting country. You can’t ask them the most basic of questions, they never know anything.

What Really Happens

  • During the Flight: You’re handcuffed and shackled until you enter Jamaica’s air space.
  • At the Airport:
    • Your documents are rechecked, you’re fingerprinted, and authorities question you about your deportation record. All processing happens at the airport—unless you have outstanding Jamaican charges. If you’re wanted in Jamaica, you’ll be arrested at the airport.
    • There is no “Reception Center”, you won’t be escorted out of the airport unless you’re being arrested or need medical attention.
  • Release with No Support:
    • You may be asked if you have somewhere to stay, but even if you don’t, you are released from the airport regardless. All of the NGO’s and reintegration efforts either don’t exist or they are lacking. You’re not provided with documents or explanation of how to get a phone, who to contact or where you can stay.
    • There is no structured support system—you must find your own way and seek help from NGOs on your own.

The reality is starkly different from the structured process the government claims exists. In practice, deportees are processed, released, and left to fend for themselves.

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