The number of Jamaicans who were deported to their homeland in 2021 was 501, a big decline from the 653 who were sent back in 2020.

The reduction was in large part due to the 40.3 per cent drop in the number of deportations from the United States last year.

Overall, the number of Jamaicans sent home in 2021 was 23.3 per cent lower when compared to 2020. The statistics are contained in the 2021 edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica, a publication of the Planning Institute of Jamaica.

According to the statistics, the overall decline in deportations in 2021 was in spite of increases in the number of people sent back from Canada which was up 60.6 per cent and the category called “other countries” which was up 28.6 per cent.

And despite falling off by over 40 per cent, the United States is still the main country from which Jamaicans are deported, making up 56.1 per cent of the total.

The ‘other countries’ category accounted for 28.7 per cent of those returned, Canada 10.6 per cent while the remaining 4.6 per cent came from England.

“Some 35.5 per cent of those deported was for overstaying/illegal entry/re-entry and 25.7 per cent for possession of drugs,” the survey said.

It also noted that overstaying, illegal entry and re-entry were the main reasons for deportation from other countries at 68.8 per cent and Canada at 60.4 per cent.

For the United States, it was involvement in criminal activity at 85.4 per cent. This was similar to England, with 17 of the 23 persons (73.9 per cent) returned for involvement in criminal activity other than overstaying/ illegal entry/re-entry.

Males accounted for 88 per cent of those returned.

In the meantime, eight persons (six male) were extradited from Jamaica – five to the USA, two to Canada and one to England.