THE first batch of third-country nationals (TCNs) should be arriving in the island today, highly placed sources told the Jamaica Observer late Monday evening after the Government signalled the imminent start of the controversial programme agreed between Kingston and Washington.

It was not immediately clear what time the flight carrying the TCNs would arrive or the number making up the first batch; however, Observer sources said they are mostly South Americans and the country will be updated at this week’s post-Cabinet press briefing.

The Government had previously stated that under the agreement Jamaica would accept no more than 25 per fortnight.

A release from the Ministry of National Security and Peace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade on Monday said that “the first flight transporting third-country nationals under the agreement is expected to arrive in Jamaica shortly”.

According to both ministries, the release was issued to provide a further update on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed earlier this year between Jamaica and the United States.

The release also stated that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has agreed to commence support services.

Under the agreement signed in June this year, up to 25 asylum seekers who have unresolved migration cases in the US will temporarily transit through Jamaica en route to their home countries every two weeks.

The MOU was inked amidst US efforts to manage regional structured migration.

According to National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang, the people covered under the MOU are not being permanently settled in Jamaica and would only remain on the island while arrangements are made for their onward movement.

But the programme has attracted flak from various quarters, including the Opposition People’s National Party, which has demanded that the Government table the full MOU in Parliament.

In their release on Monday, the national security and foreign ministries reiterated that both Kingston and Washington “had finalised the operating procedures governing the arrangement, including the necessary safeguards and parameters to ensure its implementation in a safe, orderly, and lawful manner”.

“The Government reiterates that this is a transit arrangement intended to facilitate the return of third-country nationals to their countries of origin or other receiving countries, with the support of the IOM, which has been formally engaged to provide assistance to the individuals while they are in Jamaica and to facilitate their onward movement,” the release said.

The ministries also restated that “the arrangement will not be funded by the Government of Jamaica, that no third-country national with criminal antecedents will be permitted to transit through Jamaica under this programme; and further, that the number of persons anticipated will be a maximum of 25 persons per fortnight”.

The ministries also reminded that the MOU provides for its suspension if 10 third country nationals apply to remain in Jamaica through asylum applications or other humanitarian processes.

“The Government of Jamaica will continue to work closely with the Government of the United States and the IOM to ensure that the implementation of the programme is appropriately managed in accordance with the principles of safe and orderly migration, and consistent with both domestic and international law,” the release stated, adding that the Government “will continue to keep the public informed of significant developments as the programme progresses”.