The leader of the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP), Mark Golding, Tuesday condemned what he termed as ‘government’s lack of transparency and frankly dishonesty’ over reports that Jamaica had signed an agreement with the United States allowing for Kingston to accept a limited number of non-criminal third-country nationals and refugees.
Golding, who along with other members of the PNP joined members of civil society in a peaceful demonstration, is also calling on the government to make public the agreement even as National Security and Peace Minister, Dr. Horace Chang is insisting that no such arrangements have been made, to date.. ‘I’m very concerned because the reports have, in fact, raised the anger of the population in Grants Town, St. Mary, and we’d like to ask them to remain calm, not to do anything rash, because there is no truth to the reports,’ Chang told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) on Monday.
But Golding said that he had joined the demonstration ‘ to protest some of the things going on in the country, you know, the way in which the government has approached this third country national deportee situation, the government’s lack of transparency and frankly dishonesty in describing how this came about and what it is for.
‘And, you know, we’re aware that on the US law this whole arrangement is being questioned, that’s an unsettled issue, and we think it’s very premature and inappropriate for Jamaica to be embarking on an arrangement like this while the situation under the US law remains very uncertain.’
Golding said he is also concerned that ‘there seems to be no discernible benefit to Jamaica from entering into this arrangement and we only heard about it because it was leaked to the media,’ he added.
The PNP’s spokesman on Finance, Julian Robinson, who also participated in the protest, said ‘we have come out here to demonstrate, to voice our opposition to the agreement the Government has entered into with the US to bring what I will call persons into the country. We don’t know the terms of this agreement.
‘We know nothing about it. The government has been hiding it, quite frankly, and so we want that agreement to be tabled in Parliament so we know what the government has signed up on,’ he added.
The organiser of the protest and head of Jamaicans for Justice Kay Osborne said the issues reflected a broader crisis of confidence in the Government.
‘Jamaica is in a crisis. We are in a crisis of governance, we’re in a crisis of trust. We do not trust the Government’s word, we don’t trust them to tell us anything straight… to tell us the truth,’ she said.
Osborne criticised the Government’s handling of the TCN agreement, arguing that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was negotiated without public disclosure.
‘The deportee deal, they signed an MOU in secret and we wouldn’t know anything about it if it were not for the Gleaner who essentially burst the story,’ she said.
But Chang said on Monday that the rumours are putting at risk the property of a retired public servant, which is being utilised as an Airbnb.
‘She is very worried about her own safety, her staff, the safety of the property and safety of any visitors there. In fact, she’s looking at cancelling some bookings she has had, and that may lead to her having to take legal action, as she not only has emotional stress by virtue of the report or pressure from the community but she [may have] to close her business.
‘Please refrain from putting her property and staff at risk,’ Chang pleaded, insisting that the the details of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, including accommodation, have not been finalised.
‘The activities now depend on the technical professionals, and we have a good team between the Ministry of National Security and Peace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the International Organization of Migration (IMO), which will look at the conditions we have (and) if everything is ready to receive them. The public will be made aware of that,’ Chang said.
Earlier this month, Chang said Jamaica’s sovereignty had not been compromised during the ongoing discussions with the United States to accept a limited number of non-criminal third-country nationals and refugees.