Category: CANA News

Jamaica Wednesday confirmed that it has received the first group of Third Country Nationals (TCNs), under an agreement with the United States that is seeking to deal with the problem of illegal migration.

National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang told a news conference that the 22 migrants, including seven women, arrived here on Tuesday afternoon and that there were no children involved.

He said that the pre-confirmation of identity was undertaken subsequent to arrival and that they were received by officials from the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and taken to a location which he could not disclose. ‘There were four on-site translators, two virtually, to ensure that all the members would have easy communication with the team on the ground, and it went very well,’ Chang said, adding ‘the operation was incident-free.

‘They were subsequently transferred to a prescribed accommodation determined by the International Organization for Migration…and that went successfully and without any controversy’. Watch video

Chang said that the migrants, none of home had a criminal record were ‘provided a visa status by the Passport Immigration Centre and during that time, they’ll be hosted by the IOM…a trusted international organisation.’

Chang said the IOM operates across the globe, ‘in conditions far more difficult than they are in Jamaica’ and that in accordance with the established arrangements, ‘IOM now assumes full responsibility for their care and will facilitate their return to their respective countries’.

Chang said that the reception of these individuals is being undertaken in accordance with the agreed framework including the relevant immigration and security requirements, as well as for the protection and security of Jamaicans at all times.

‘We can assure our country, the citizens listening, that we have taken all necessary steps to protect the well-being of Jamaicans, while ensuring that there’s a human transition of a number of fellow citizens from across the globe who are experiencing some challenges,’ Chang told reporters.

Chang without going into details of the agreement with Washington said ‘we have signed an MOU in which we will receive a number of third country nationals once we have settled our operational agreement with the International Organization for Migration and that process started yesterday with 22 nationals.

‘In terms of financing, we have received no funding from the United States. Funding goes to the International Organization for Migration who has host responsibility for them while they are here and will make arrangements for them to transit to their home country.’

The National Security Minister said that the ‘individuals from different cultures’ are free to move about in Jamaica, adding ‘they are here as visitors and they are working closely with the IOM in terms of conveying relevant information.

‘The IOM will extract the information they require to prepare them for transit to their home country. They are free to do as they are otherwise, like any visitor to ‘ he said, adding that he is not aware of any one of the visitors having applied for asylum status.

‘I wouldn’t be able to give you that answer today. There are transition to the IOM only yesterday afternoon, which is less than 24 hours. The IOM will interrogate and not only make arraignment for the movement, if they seek other alternative arraignment, then the IOM will inform us and we take it from there.’

Chang said he could not also disclose when the island would receive another batch of migrants under the TCN agreement.

‘I cannot tell you when others arrive. We have a 14 day gap, they’re indicating that we can get another trip after 14 days, but there’s no guarantee that, you know, it’s not like, these are designated numbers …that we receive, our own citizens, where every two weeks, we know we get a batch, a flight from anywhere from 50 to 75 individuals.

‘The TCNs depend on the number, which might penetrate the barrier getting into the United States, …and what the State Department will decide, or the ICE will decide where they’re sending them and to which country.’

Chang said that there are 30 countries involved in the TCN agreements with the United States government.

‘In the Caribbean, you have Belize, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Panama, Latin America, Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda is still in some discussion, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis in this region, and there are additional well over 20 in the wider community.

‘So when they have a batch, a number of cities to move as transition, they decide based on where those cities are from,’ Chang said, adding ‘minimum time is 14 days.’

West Indies defeated India by 24 runs in the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Wednesday.

WEST INDIES 247-3 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 102 not out, Sherfane Rutherford 49 not out, Shimron Hetmyer 33, Rovman Powell 24, Jewel Andrew 21; Prince Yadav 1-36, Axar Patel 1-45)

INDIA 223 in 19.3 overs (Sanju Sampson 56, Tilak Varma 43, Nitish Kumar Reddy 41; Keemo Paul 5-41, Gudakesh Motie 2-13)

Prime Minister Philip Davis says the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, closes a gap between what The Bahamas has committed to internationally and what the domestic law is able to deliver.

Davis told legislators that the international order that small states rely on is under real strain and that major powers are more willing to act alone.

He said that trade, finance and technology are increasingly used as instruments of pressure and that institutions that once seemed permanent are being tested.

‘For a country like ours, the strategic conclusion is clear. We cannot shape the choices of great powers. We can make sure that the rules that still hold are upheld consistently, and above all, by those who depend on them most.’

Prime Minister Davis said that The Bahamas joined the United Nations in September 1973, weeks after independence and in accepting the Charter, Nassau accepted Article 25, under which member states agree to carry out the decisions of the Security Council.

He said Article 41 allows the Council to impose measures short of armed force, including the interruption of economic and financial relations.

Prime Minister Davis said that targeted financial sanctions are such measures, adopted under Chapter VII, they bind every member state equally.

But he said ‘there is a practical dimension to this.

‘Our legal system is dualist. A Council decision has no force in our courts until Parliament gives it effect. The credibility of our commitment is therefore only as strong as the legislation behind it.’

Prime Minister Davis said that UN Security Council Resolution 1737, adopted unanimously in December 2006, requires all states to freeze the funds, financial assets and economic resources of persons and entities designated in connection with nuclear and ballistic missile programmes of proliferation concern.

He said it requires states to ensure that no funds are made available to them. It established a sanctions committee to maintain the list, with procedures permitting the release of frozen funds for basic expenses such as food, rent and legal fees, following notification to that committee.

He sad resolution 2231, adopted in July 2015, replaced much of that framework, maintained its own list of individuals and entities subject to asset freezes, and included a mechanism for reapplying the earlier measures.

‘That mechanism was used in September 2025, and the measures first imposed under resolution 1737 were restored. Our law must capture designations under both resolutions and be able to follow the regime as it evolves,’ Prime Minister Davis said, adding that ‘the architecture of our sanctions regime under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2018 rests on a single definition that of a ‘designated person or entity’.

Prime Minister Davis said the obligations flow from it and that funds and assets held for a designated person must be frozen without delay and without prior notice.

‘No person in The Bahamas may make funds, assets or financial services available to them, directly or indirectly. Holdings and attempted transactions must be reported to the competent authorities, and breaches carry criminal liability. ‘

Davis said that those obligations extend to every individual and business in The Bahamas, not only to licensed banks, acknowledging that he recognises that some legislators will ask whether this cedes too much to the Council.

‘It does not. Parliament sets the policy, and it does so in this Bill: The Bahamas will freeze the assets of those the Council designates in this field. The Council identifies the targets. That division of labour is an operational necessity.

‘The Financial Action Task Force defines ‘without delay’ as, ideally, within hours. A regime that required new legislation for each designation would fail that standard by months,’ Prime Minister Davis said, noting that ‘retrospective provisions deserve scrutiny, and this one withstands it.

‘It creates no offence for past conduct. It provides legal certainty for freezing and reporting actions taken in good faith by our authorities and institutions since that date. Sound regulation should never penalise those who complied early.’

Prime Minister Davis said that the first purpose of the Bill is straightforward insisting that The Bahamas is fulfilling its international obligations and commitments.

He said as a member of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, The Bahamas will be assessed saying that ‘we know the cost of such findings.

‘After The Bahamas was grey-listed in 2018, correspondent banks reassessed their exposure, compliance costs rose across the sector, and those costs were ultimately borne by Bahamian households and businesses,’ Prime Minister Davis said, adding that it took sustained effort across administrations to secure the country’s removal in December 2020.

‘Financial services remain one of the two pillars of our economy. Protecting the credibility of the sector protects the jobs and incomes that depend on it. The second purpose responds to a changed environment. There is no doubt that we are living in an era of new threats and evolved threats.

‘We should be clear-eyed about what has changed. Proliferation financing is structurally different from terrorist financing. Transactions are often commercial in appearance. Values vary widely. ‘

Prime Minister Davis said that the objective is procurement of materials and technology over time.

‘Networks operate through front companies with ownership layered across multiple jurisdictions. Dual-use components are acquired in fragments and assembled elsewhere. National authorities and United Nations experts have documented state-linked actors stealing digital assets on a very large scale to finance weapons programmes.’

He said that the maritime dimension has evolved in parallel and that vessels disable their automatic identification systems, change names and flags in rapid succession, register with fraudulent documentation and transfer cargo between ships at sea, beyond the reach of port inspection.

‘That has direct implications for The Bahamas. We operate one of the largest ship registries in the world. We regulate digital asset businesses under the DARE Act, 2024. Our international financial centre supports trust companies, investment funds and corporate service providers with clients worldwide.

‘These are national strengths, built over decades. Their resilience depends on our law keeping pace with the Council’s designations, so that no part of our system is available to those seeking to evade them.’

Prime Minister Davis said the legislation delivers that alignment and that every designation the Council makes in this field will carry immediate legal effect here.

He said The Bahamas Maritime Authority, the Securities Commission, the Central Bank, the Financial Intelligence Unit and every reporting institution will work from one clear and current definition.

Caribbean Community stakeholders Wednesday ended a three-day meeting here coordinating the region’s negotiating priorities ahead of the 31st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which takes place in Trkiye, next month.

The Second Meeting of CARICOM Negotiators and Ministers Preparatory to COP31, was convened by the Belize-based Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), following the first meeting in Guyana in March his year in preparation for the November 9-20 COP meeting.

CARICOM negotiators will head to COP31 carrying the lived realities of the region’s people

‘CARICOM negotiators will head to COP31 carrying the lived realities of the region’s people, whose vulnerability to climate change is underscored by the latest scientific findings,’ according to a statement issued at the end of the meeting.

It said that the United Nations Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report 2025: Off Target, warns that global warming will exceed 1.5°C, at least temporarily, and that even full implementation of current national climate pledges would put the world on course for 2.3-2.5°C of warming this century. .

CARICOM Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Wendell Samue,l emphasised the urgency of maintaining ambitious global climate action.

‘For CARICOM, climate change remains the defining sustainable development challenge of our generation. Our people do not experience climate negotiations; they experience climate impacts. They experience stronger storms, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted livelihoods..

‘We must continue to defend the 1.5-degree temperature goal at a time when some may be tempted to lower ambition in response to domestic economic and geopolitical pressures, CARICOM must continue to advocate for science-based action. For our region, 1.5 is the line between manageable risk and irreversible loss and damage,’ he added.

The statement noted that for the Caribbean, every fraction of a degree of overshoot increases the risk of extreme weather events and accelerating environmental and ecological degradation, with farreaching consequences for public health, livelihoods, economic stability and security.

It said that these are not distant projections and that for the region’s small island and low-lying coastal developing states, these existential threats are already unfolding.

‘The strength of the Caribbean and our negotiators have never been in the size of our emissions; it has always been in the clarity of our cause and the discipline of our common position,’ said CCCCC’s executive director, Dr. Colin Young.

‘ We have proof of what a united region and a united AOSIS can deliver in these negotiations. The best outcomes will not be handed to us. We have to demand it, defend it with courage and unity.’

The statement said that through strengthened coordination, CARICOM’s delegation concretised the regional position ahead of COP 31 ‘and will carry a shared understanding of the region’s priorities, ensuring Caribbean voices are well represented, unified and heard’.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

BASSETERRE – Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew Tuesday said he had been given a ‘clean bill of health’ by his doctors and has since been discharged from the United States hospital where he had been rushed to after suffering a stroke last month.

ROSEAU – Doctors employed with the Dominica China Friendship Hospital, Tuesday, staged protest action in support of their demands for the payment of outstanding salaries as well as job security.

BELMOPAN – The Belize government has defended Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science and Technology Minister, Francis Fonseca, after China on Monday accused him and a senior government minister in Paraguay of adopting ‘anti-China’ policies.

GEORGETOWN – Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and two of his workers were arrested and taken into custody early Tuesday morning

NASSAU – National Security Minister Myles LaRoda says he is hoping the discovery by police last week of a rocket-propelled grenade launcher is not an indicating that such high powered weapons are finding their way into The Bahamas.

SPORTS:

GEORGETOWN – Imran Khan smashed an impressive century to lead West Indies Over-40s to a comprehensive 159-run victory over a Rest of the Caribbean (ROTC) team in a practice match on Monday as part of preparations for the upcoming International Masters Cricket (IMC) Over-40s World Cup.

Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew Tuesday said he had been given a ‘clean bill of health’ by his doctors and has since been discharged from the United States hospital where he had been rushed to after suffering a stroke last month.

Dr. Drew, a medical practitioner, had been flown to Miami for medical evaluation and treatment on September 2, after being airlifted from St. Kitts to the French-island of Martinique on August 31.

Last month, Dr. Drew said that he had suffered a stroke that was caused by a dissection of the vertebral artery, a tear in one of the arteries at the back of the brain. He had initially experienced persistent nausea, vomiting, neck pain, dizziness, and difficulty walking or balancing.

‘From the depths of my soul, thank you. Thank you for every prayer whispered in the quiet of the night. Thank you for every message, every call, every kind word. I felt your love and care. I felt your faith. And I believe, I truly believe, that it helped to carry me through,’ Dr. Drew said in a radio and television broadcast. Watch video

‘Let me confirm that I have completed my rehabilitation, both inpatient and outpatient, and I am doing well. I also want to confirm that I visited the doctors again today, and I was given an excellent bill of health and I was told that I am fit to return to full duty,’ Prime Minister Drew said.

‘This experience, as is obvious, has been a trial. But it has also been a testimony. A testimony to the power of God, the power of prayer, and a testimony to the love of my family and of our people.

‘Today, I address you not from a hospital bed, not in a rehabilitation centre, but as your Prime Minister, ready to serve, ready to resume my full-time duties,’ he said, noting that while recuperating he had been brought up to date on all the projects being undertaken by the government under the capable leadership of acting Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley.

‘Plans were in place. The transition was smooth. The work continued. That is a testament to the strength of our institutions, to the character of our people who serve in them, and also to the maturity of my Cabinet colleagues.

‘My commitment to you and to the vision we share for our beloved Federation remains firm, with God at the centre,’ Drew said, acknowledging that when one ‘faces his or her own mortality, one begins to see things somewhat differently, as is obvious.

‘One begins to understand what truly matters and for me, what truly matters has always been the things that I consider to be truly important. My faith in God, my family, the love of the people, the health and well-being of every citizen, the future of our country, and the legacy we leave for our generations to come. ‘

Drew said that later this week, he will be travelling to Washington DC to participate in an important U.S.-Caribbean dialogue on October 15.

‘This meeting presents a valuable opportunity to engage directly with senior United States officials on matters that are important to our Federation, including energy security, economic investment, national security, healthcare, and opportunities for all of our people.

‘I consider my personal participation especially important. We have already laid the groundwork for several meaningful partnerships, and I want to ensure continuity in those discussions, strengthen the relationships we have built, and advance commitments that can bring real benefits to our country’

Prime Minister Drew said that it his responsibility as the head of government, along with the Federal Cabinet, ‘to ensure that St. Kitts and Nevis has a strong voice wherever important decisions affecting our future are being discussed, and I intend to continue doing just that.’

He said that based on his health update, ‘I will be home in short order to continue serving you in St. Kitts and Nevis.

‘I love this country, and I know you do as well. I love our people, and I am grateful, so grateful, for the opportunity that you have given me to serve you. This experience has not weakened me at all. To the contrary, it has strengthened my resolve. I am ready to work.

‘I am committed to building and advancing our beloved Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. I therefore ask for your continued prayer, as I also will pray for you, and I extend my blessing to every home, every family, and every community,’ he said in the broadcast.

National Security Minister Myles LaRoda says he is hoping the discovery by police last week of a rocket-propelled grenade launcher is not an indicating that such high powered weapons are finding their way into The Bahamas.

‘That piece of equipment … it could do damage. We are concerned that that type of weaponry is here. We hope that this is a one off, but we have to be prepared now that we’ve found at least one of these devices to look even deeper.

‘It raises a concern of what criminal elements, and it really shows why we should tighten, as a ministry in national security, our techniques, our innovation in detecting these types of equipment that has found its way into The Bahamas,’ LaRoda told reporters.

Police said officers from Operation Black Scorpion, assisted by the Anti-Terrorism Unit and Canine Support Unit, were acting on information when they searched an area on the southern side of Pride Estates.The authorities said that beneath the stove, officers found a green camouflage bag containing the launcher.

LaRoda said that the discovery has raised security concerns and is urging the public to allow police to carry on with their investigations.

Laroda said the weapon could cause serious damage, adding that officials hoped its discovery was an isolated incident. Asked how the military weapon entered the country, Laroda declined to comment on the specifics but said the Commissioner of Police was taking the matter seriously.

Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew Tuesday said he had been given a ‘clean bill of health’ by his doctors and has since been discharged from the United States hospital where he had been rushed to after suffering a stroke last month.

Dr. Drew, a medical practitioner, had been flown to Miami for medical evaluation and treatment on September 2, after being airlifted from St. Kitts to the French-island of Martinique on August 31.

Last month, Dr. Drew said that he had suffered a stroke that was caused by a dissection of the vertebral artery, a tear in one of the arteries at the back of the brain. He had initially experienced persistent nausea, vomiting, neck pain, dizziness, and difficulty walking or balancing.

‘From the depths of my soul, thank you. Thank you for every prayer whispered in the quiet of the night. Thank you for every message, every call, every kind word. I felt your love and care. I felt your faith. And I believe, I truly believe, that it helped to carry me through,’ Dr. Drew said in a radio and television broadcast.

‘Let me confirm that I have completed my rehabilitation, both inpatient and outpatient, and I am doing well. I also want to confirm that I visited the doctors again today, and I was given an excellent bill of health and I was told that I am fit to return to full duty,’ Prime Minister Drew said.

The 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has held talks with the Republic of Trkiye exploring opportunities for deeper cooperation in trade and investment, disaster management and resilience, food security, renewable energy, health, maritime connectivity, and port development.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that the the Second Meeting of the CARICOM-Republic of Trkiye Consultation and Cooperation Mechanism took place on Monday and that ‘both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening political dialogue and advancing practical cooperation in those areas’.

The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Miriam Mac Intosh of Suriname, the current chair of the CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), and the Director General for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Trkiye, Ambassador Erkan Aytun.

Mac Intosh in her remarks said the two parties continue to deepen their engagement in areas of mutual interest based on ‘a shared commitment to constructive dialogue, genuine partnership, and mutual respect.

‘We express our appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Trkiye for its continued support for development cooperation in the Caribbean Community. Trkiye’s contributions to development projects and humanitarian assistance have delivered tangible benefits and demonstrated the value of our engagement. We remain committed to identifying and advancing further initiatives that contribute to the region’s resilience and sustainable development.’

The meeting was convened under the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2011 and provided an opportunity to review developments in CARICOM-Trkiye relations and identify opportunities for enhanced cooperation.

The statement said that high-level officials from CARICOM member states with quasi-cabinet portfolios for trade and investment, disaster management and resilience, food security, renewable energy, health, maritime connectivity, and port development present specific and practical areas for enhanced cooperation with Trkiye.

It said that the discussions were enriched by representatives from various Turkish institutions who shared how their expertise, technology, and technical capacity can be leveraged to meet the needs of CARICOM in those areas.

‘With Trkiye serving as President of the Thirty-First Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), to be held in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026, the meeting benefited from a presentation on strategic priorities for the global climate change conference, as well as the host country’s preparations and expectations,’ the statement said.

Ambassador Aytun said that there is need to make COP31 an implementation COP.

‘We have carried out extensive consultation with Parties and stakeholders in the development of the COP31 climate action agenda.

‘We have identified 10 priority themes, including Clean energy transition and electrification, Zero waste and methane reduction, climate-resilient cities, green industrialisation, youth and education, food security, oceans and seas, dynamic and resilient health systems, Rio Synergies and Climate Implementation Bridge’ the diplomat added.

The statement said that over the years, CARICOM and Trkiye have broadened their engagement through development cooperation, humanitarian assistance, and support for regional initiatives.

It said recent cooperation has included contributions to regional disaster recovery efforts and the Caribbean Development Fund, as well as assistance to strengthen the CARICOM Secretariat’s information and communications infrastructure

The Jamaica government Tuesday reconfirmed that its agreement with the United States regarding the third country nationals (TNC) arrangement will not be prejudicial to the interest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

The main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) earlier called for the government to immediately disclose the full details of the TCN arrangements amid reports that the first set of migrants are due to arrive here ‘shortly’, following the finalisation of arrangements between the two countries.

‘The Government is asking Jamaicans to accept a security arrangement they have not been allowed to see,’ said Opposition Spokesperson on National Security, Fitz Jackson.

‘We have not been told where these individuals will be housed, under what security conditions or who will be responsible for monitoring them. Before a single flight lands, Parliament must see this agreement,’ Jackson added.

But In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Kamina Johnson-Smith said Jamaica negotiated an agreement that was in accordance with the principles of safe and orderly migration and consistent with domestic and international law.

She reiterated that the Andrew Holness government is unable to release the migrant agreement because Washington has not agreed to make the document public and that specific parameters were negotiated under the deal.

‘As I explained before, some countries have agreed to receive criminals, we have not; some countries have had their agreements made public, but our partner has not agreed for this one to be (it is not that there is anything prejudicial);

‘…we also have negotiated for a brake to be applied if 10 TCNs apply for refugee status or otherwise seek to remain under other humanitarian process,’ she said.

Johnson-Smith said that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will be fully responsible for the care, accommodation and return of the TCNs and that ‘Jamaica will only land and transport them to the IOM’.

In a joint statement on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Ministry of National Security and Peace confirmed that the operating procedures had been finalised to facilitate the arrival of the individuals from the United States.

They said that the agreement includes safeguards and guidelines to ensure the programme is carried out safely, orderly and in accordance with the law.

Under the arrangement, Jamaica will serve as a temporary transit point for third-country nationals being returned to their countries of origin or other countries willing to receive them.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been formally engaged to assist the individuals during their stay in Jamaica and coordinate their onward travel.

According to the ministries, a maximum of 25 individuals will be allowed to transit through Jamaica every two weeks.

The agreement also contains provisions allowing Jamaica to suspend the arrangement if 10 third-country nationals apply to remain in the country through asylum applications or other humanitarian processes.

Jamaica is among a handful of Caribbean Community (CAARICOM) countries that have entered into agreements with Washington regarding the TCN. The other countries that have agreed to the agreement include St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda.