Over 400 Jamaicans denied entry to T&T since January 2015

Over 400 Jamaicans have been denied entry to the twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago since January 2015, Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson-Smith, indicated on Friday.

During an address in the Senate, she said that Jamaica continues to push for implementation of plans for the improved treatment of Jamaicans who are denied entry to the fellow CARICOM state.

Senator Johnson-Smith said 326 Jamaicans were denied entry last year, and 113 were not allowed into T&T for the first quarter of 2016.

She said the majority of the reports from the denied Jamaicans — both formally and informally — related to mistreatment at immigration and during overnight detention at the Piarco International Airport.

She said Jamaica has sought to deal with the issue at the bilateral and regional levels, and indicated that the latest word from Trinidad is that some work has started to improve the situation.

She said while discussions between the two countries have been underway for some time, the plans in train have not been completed.