Pressure is mounting in the United States for greater transparency over the controversial third-country nationals (TCN) agreement between Jamaica and the U.S., with a Jamaican-American advocate calling on members of Congress to launch a federal inquiry into the arrangement.
Patrick Beckford, a New Jersey resident, has written to U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, as well as Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, urging them to seek answers from the United States Department of Stateregarding the memorandum of understanding governing the transfer of third-country deportees to Jamaica.
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In his letter, Beckford requested full disclosure of the agreement’s terms, including:
- The legal authority under which the agreement was negotiated.
- How deportees will be screened before being sent to Jamaica.
- Where they will be housed while on the island.
- Which categories of migrants are eligible for transfer.
- The extent of U.S. taxpayer funding being used to support the programme.
The appeal comes as the agreement continues to generate political controversy in Jamaica. Under the arrangement, Jamaica has agreed to receive up to 25 third-country nationals every two weeks as a transit country, with the programme expected to pause if more than 10 individuals remain in Jamaica during a 30-day period. Jamaican officials have said the U.S. will cover the associated costs and that the programme is intended as a managed transit process rather than permanent resettlement.
The agreement has faced criticism from opposition politicians, trade unions, church leaders, and civil society groups in Jamaica, many of whom have questioned the lack of public consultation and called for greater transparency. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has rejected suggestions that Jamaica was pressured into signing the agreement, maintaining that the arrangement serves Jamaica’s national interests and is consistent with the country’s international obligations.
Beckford argues that the American public and Jamaican diaspora also deserve answers, particularly given the potential legal, humanitarian, and financial implications of the agreement. He is asking the New Jersey lawmakers to press the State Department to publicly disclose the full details of the memorandum and explain how the programme will operate in practice.
