CHAIRMAN of the Jamaica Labour Party’s communication team Senator Abka Fitz-Henley has added his voice to those of the Government pushing back at what they describe as a “misleading and immature” framing from the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) of Jamaica’s decision to join several countries which have inked third-country national (TCN) agreements with the United States.

On Friday Opposition Senator Lambert Brown chided the Dr Andrew Holness Administration for agreeing to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US.

Addressing the Senate, Brown questioned, “Why are you bringing to Jamaica the most despicable paedophile and dangerous people under the TCN? In choosing to bring the TCN you choosing despicable paedophile who [US Secretary of State Marco] Rubio wants to get away and dump on us?”

On Monday Fitz-Henley joined his colleague Senator Marlon Morgan in chastising Brown for “attempting to mislead the public regarding the nature of the asylum-seekers MOU between Jamaica and the United States”.

According to Fitz-Henley, the Government has been diligent in ensuring that the agreement does not facilitate the entry of criminals into the island.

“What is important is that the Government of Jamaica has, in the spirit of partnership, said while we will assist, we are being careful and diligent. We have indicated that we will not accept people who have a criminal past or are deemed to be active in criminality.

“That is why the limited number of asylum seekers who it is proposed that Jamaica assist in their transit to their home country, before any is accepted, they will be subjected to vetting from Jamaica’s highly competent intelligence agencies. They will be assessed medically. Additionally, the USA has agreed to stand the cost of the entire exercise of facilitating transit back to their home country,” said Fitz-Henley.

He added that the Holness Administration has been clear that no agreement entered into with an international partner should compromise the safety and security of Jamaica.

“What must be stated clearly is that the Government of Jamaica has placed priority on our national security interest and the safety of our citizens. So this notion injected into the conversation by the PNP of the MOU facilitating overseas criminals being allowed to overtake Jamaica is not true. It is a false narrative pushed by the Opposition because they underestimate the intelligence of the people of Jamaica to appreciate the dynamic global environment we operate in, where partners across the globe assist each other with challenges which may arise,” said Fitz-Henley.

He charged that the Opposition is presenting conflicting positions on the issue of the deal with the US.

“There is an element of hypocrisy to it, because while PNP operatives, including Senator Brown, have been bombastic in their criticisms of the MOU…the Opposition Leader [Mark Golding] has intimated that he would not have said no to the US concerning signing an agreement to assist with the asylum seekers issues they face.

“Quite frankly, it is unbecoming that the Opposition has adopted [this] two-faced stance where they seek to fool the people about the nature of the agreement Jamaica and approximately 30 countries have inked, but on the other hand they whisper that if they were in office they too would have signed the agreement,” charged Fitz-Henley.

He pointed to a post from Golding in which he said, “It is a fact that the US are a close ally of ours and have been very helpful to us in many ways, including after Hurricane Melissa, and if they have a serious problem and they are asking for our assistance, I wouldn’t likely ignore that or reject that”.

He argued that the perspectives which the Opposition have offered on the issue of the TCN agreement is “immature and unbecoming”.

“The fact is we live in a dynamic world, a global village where when developing countries face crisis, including hurricanes, our people are the beneficiaries of significant assistance from our partners, including the United States. Likewise, immigration issues, such as the challenge presented by asylum seekers, is a problem facing the United States and they have turned to their partners, including Jamaica, for assistance.

“It is in the public domain that approximately 30 countries, including Poland, Ghana, Panama, Mexico, and Guatemala have inked MOUs which pertain to assisting in the transit to their home country of asylum seekers. This is reflective of the world we live in where responsible cooperation is an imperative,” argued Fitz-Henley.