Dear Editor,

The recent discourse around the plight of Haitian migrants has stirred a necessary debate about Jamaica’s national priorities and our approach to immigration. While compassion is a commendable virtue, it must not blind us to the pragmatic realities facing our small island nation.

The notion that we should extend open arms to all who seek refuge, regardless of our capacity, is not empathy, it is, as Canadian academic Professor Gad Saad describes, “suicidal empathy”. In his work, Saad highlights this as “the inability to implement optimal decisions when our emotional system is tricked into an orgiastic hyperactive form of empathy, deployed on the wrong targets”.

To borrow a crucial safety directive, we must recognise that “putting our own oxygen mask on first” is not selfish, but essential for survival. Jamaica, barely able to support its own citizens, cannot afford to prioritise the suffering of others at the expense of its own stability and development.

Our country’s limited resources necessitate a strategic and pragmatic approach rather than an empathy-driven one that may inadvertently jeopardise our future. Waiting for waves of migrants to arrive and hoping they will seamlessly integrate is a gamble that ignores our capacity constraints. Instead, we should re-evaluate models like St Lucian economist Sir Arthur Lewis’s ‘Industrialisation by Invitation’, which advocated for selective, skilled immigration to bolster economic growth.

Jamaica’s best path forward is to invite individuals from culturally similar backgrounds — those who share our Judeo-Christian values and can seamlessly integrate into our society — particularly in sectors crucial for our development: agriculture, fintech, energy, and engineering. We can prioritise applicants from India, Israel, China, Africa, and Latin America, countries and communities with a long history of engagement with Jamaica and proven capacity to contribute meaningfully.

This approach aligns with the principles of pragmatism and self-preservation. It is not a rejection of empathy but a recognition that our foremost responsibility is to safeguard the well-being and future of our citizens. We must understand that true compassion includes ensuring our nation’s stability and growth, which, in turn, benefits everyone.

In short, Jamaica should focus on protecting its borders and prioritising its own needs first.

This is not about a lack of compassion, but about responsible governance and ensuring the long-term prosperity of Jamaica. Our focus must be on strengthening our nation from within, which will ultimately allow us to be in a better position to offer meaningful assistance to others in the future.

Jillian Forbes

jillianforbes21@gmail.com