Minister Johnson Smith Highlights Benefits to Be Derived from Migration

The extent of benefits to be derived from formal pathways for migration has been highlighted by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith.

“By creating legal avenues for safe and orderly migration, we can reduce the incidence of irregular migration, combat human trafficking and smuggling while harnessing the potential of migrants as contributors to our societies and economies,” Senator Johnson Smith said.

She was speaking during a recent high-level meeting in Guatemala, where she joined Foreign Affairs Ministers and other senior government officials from some 20 countries for discussions on migration across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, Senator Johnson Smith said Jamaica remains committed to advancing the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection.

The Declaration, adopted in June 2022, during the ninth Summit of the Americas in California, builds on internationally adopted principles and instruments, including the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

Jamaica is one of five Caribbean territories endorsing the Declaration along with some 22 other countries.

The other regional states are Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Haiti.

Senator Johnson Smith also highlighted the significance and importance of the Jamaican diaspora to the island’s development.

“The diaspora has always been integral to our socio-economic development through their invaluable contributions to critical sectors such as health and education, their investments and skills transfers, as well as remittances which account for a significant percentage of the country’s GDP,” she pointed out.

In 2017, the Government developed the National Policy on International Migration and Development, aimed at addressing the evolving challenges and opportunities in mass migration.

Since then, migration has continuously been integrated into development planning, complemented by targeted support programmes across various ministries, departments and agencies, as well as through partnerships with global institutions such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM).