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Prime Minister Andrew Holness has warned returning Jamaicans against engaging in criminal activities.
“This is not the Jamaica you left 10 or 20 years ago. It is not the same police force. If you come back and break our laws, you will face justice or worse,” Holness declared.
He acknowledged that some returnees might try to form gangs or participate in scams, but the government will not allow this. He reassured law-abiding Jamaicans that they are always welcome to return and contribute positively.
Holness made these remarks while handing over a two-bedroom home under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) in St. James. He also addressed concerns about U.S. immigration policies under President Donald Trump, urging Jamaicans to return with good intentions.
“We are prepared to monitor those with criminal pasts to ensure they do not increase crime,” he said, emphasizing that Jamaica’s crime rate is declining and must not be reversed.
Holness reaffirmed that all Jamaicans are welcome home, especially hardworking individuals who left for economic reasons. He expressed hope that skilled Jamaicans would return to help build the nation.
Some Jamaicans, uncertain about their status in the U.S., may choose to return voluntarily rather than face deportation. Holness assured them that their skills and resources are valued in Jamaica.
As of November 2024, approximately 5,120 undocumented Jamaicans in the United States were facing deportation orders under the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement policies.
Recently, around 50 Jamaicans were deported to Kingston, Jamaica, on a flight that arrived on January 30, 2025. Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, clarified that such flights are part of regular monthly immigration arrangements between Jamaica and the U.S
Source: Jamaica GIS.
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