KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) Shadow Minister of National Security, Fitz Jackson, has called the Government’s decision to deny a group of Jamaicans aboard the Marella Discovery 2, entry into the country with no alternative provisions for their well-being “inhumane and draconian”.

Jackson said no Jamaican citizen should be denied entry to their country of origin, especially in a time of global uncertainty.

“Irrespective of the powers granted under the Disaster Emergency Act, every Jamaican has the right of entry into the island and this right should not be arbitrarily denied to anyone without an appropriate plan of action for their protection,” he said.

“The government failed to protect our citizens who are aboard the Marella Discovery 2, now heading to a foreign port that has no constitutional obligation to our citizens. The country needs to be told what arrangements have been put in place to ensure their safety,” he said.

The Marella Discovery 2 is now heading to Portugal, after they were denied entry to the island while the vessel was anchored in Kingston.

The PNP said, the vessel refuelled last Thursday in Kingston while a request was made to have the Jamaicans disembark, but the government failed to respond in time, and the vessel left a day later after receiving no word from the Government.

 “The Government needs to establish appropriate guidelines that will inform how Jamaican nationals who are outside of the mainland must be treated as part of the fight against the spread of the coronavirus,” Jackson said.

 “There needs to be a holistic approach to this matter, one that is not ad hoc and one that is consistently applied across the board. Our citizens should not have to be begging to enter their own country or be wondering if they will be left abandoned by their government,” he added.

Jackson urged the government to clearly instruct the overseas missions, with the help of the Jamaican Diaspora, to put in place safe houses for the Jamaicans in the interim while the borders to the island are closed.

He also called for properly established and publicised protocols to ensure that families members can be informed of the level of protection available to their loved ones.

The PNP spokesman said this latest action of the government adds to a troubling trend where Jamaican citizens are abandoned on foreign soil without assistance as was the experience with our fishermen, who were treated as slaves and left to the whim and fancy of others; our students in China, who made their appeal on social media for assistance in returning home; and our hotel workers, who arrived in-transit into Barbados but were abandoned at the Grantly Adams International Airport.

“Government must act in a responsible and effective way to manage the crisis while fulfilling the obligations to all Jamaicans, not just some.” Jackson said.