Prime Minister Andrew Holness has issued a stern warning to Jamaicans who return to the island with criminal intentions.
“Let me be clear to you that this is not the Jamaica that you left 10 or 20 years ago. It is not the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) that you left 10 or 20 years ago. You will either meet a judge or your maker if you come back to Jamaica and violate our laws and create havoc,” Holness warned.
“I know that there are many who will be returning to Jamaica, coming back to lovely communities, they may attempt to set up gangs, get involved in scamming and undermine the values of the communities that they return to. We will not tolerate that. We want all our Jamaicans to always feel that they have somewhere to come back to and call home and be well received,” he added.
The prime minister was speaking during a ceremony to handover a two-bedroom home under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) to beneficiary, Inez Francis in Cambridge, St James on Friday.
Holness used the opportunity to address the concerns regarding the immigration changes in the United States (US), under the new administration of President Donald Trump.
He encouraged Jamaicans who may return to the island to “come back with a good heart and a good mind”.
“You will be able to make life here. Don’t come back here to undermine and destroy what we have built. The government is already planning in terms of putting in place enhanced security measures to address those who we know have a criminal past, or who have been interdicted or convicted in the United States and are being returned after serving their criminal penalties there.
“We will ensure that they are appropriately monitored and that they are not in any way contributing to an increase in our crime or murder rate,” Holness stated.
“We have sacrificed long and hard [and] the people of Jamaica have borne the negative impacts of local violence. We will not tolerate criminals coming back here to increase our crime rate or murder rate. It is on a downward trajectory, we are doing very well, and we will not allow this to happen,” he added.
Meanwhile, Holness said the government has “long been planning and putting in place measures to address any changes in policies in the United States.
“Jamaica is the homeland, so Jamaicans all over the world will always be welcomed back to your homeland,” he stated.
He noted that the country is prepared to receive all its hardworking citizens who have been in the US or any other country they may have gone for economic benefits.
“Jamaica has always been, since its colonial days to now, a net supplier of talent to the world. It may be a good thing to have some of our Jamaican talent return to our shores to help us to build our country,” he stated.
“There are many Jamaicans now who are feeling uncertain in the United States and who are considering returning on their own to avoid the indignity of being deported. We welcome you back to Jamaica. We want your talent, we want your resources,” Holness added.
