7 April 2025
UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families, Informal Session for NGOs and NHRIs
Aziz Abdul Muhammat, GDP Refugee Advocacy Co-ordinator
Concerning Jamaica, we regret to note that as of 4 April, Jamaica had apparently still not presented a state report in response to the list of issues issued by the Committee. However, in our monitoring of the country, we have documented various concerning reports of arbitrary detention of migrants and asylum seekers in deplorable conditions, including in prisons, in particular targeting people from Haiti. We urge the Committee to call on Jamaica to:
- End the arbitrary arrest and detention of asylum seekers arriving from Haiti or other countries, and to ensure they have access to due process safeguards. In Paragraphs 17 and 18, the Committee requested information from Jamaica with regards to measures taken to protect against arbitrary detention, as well as details of how authorities respect due process and procedural safeguards. There are numerous reports indicating that Haitians have been arrested and arbitrarily detained upon entry into the country, in contravention of Article 16(4) of the Convention. Reports also indicate that asylum seekers are detained with no procedural safeguards in place, such as detention time limits or access to lawyers. We call on the Committee to remind Jamaica of its obligations under the Convention, and to ensure that no migrant, refugee, or asylum seeker is detained without legal basis.
- Provide details of all facilities where non-nationals are detained, and ensure that conditions in these facilities meet international standards and ensure detainee wellbeing. In Paragraph 19, the Committee requested detailed information pertaining to detention facilities, including conditions within. The GDP is aware of numerous reports of “deplorable conditions” in detention facilities, as well as inhuman treatment such as beating. It is imperative that Jamaica address these reports, and provide a detailed explanation of the measures it will take to ensure respect for non-nationals’ fundamental human rights.
- End the detention of non-nationals in prison. Reports indicates that Jamaica uses prisons and police stations for the purposes of immigration-related detention and fails to separate immigration detainees from people detained for criminal reasons, in contravention to Article 17(2) of the Convention. We urge the Committee to call on Jamaica to cease this practice and to provide information on measures it is taking to reform its immigration enforcement procedures to bring them in line with its international obligations.
FURTHER READING
News: The GDP Addresses the UN Committee on Migrant Workers: Mexico, Jamaica, Niger (April 2025)
Country Page: Jamaica
