Structured, Multi-Agency Processing for Involuntarily Returned Migrants

The Government has reaffirmed that involuntarily returned migrants (IRMs) are processed through a structured, multi-agency system designed to safeguard national security while facilitating access to reintegration support services.

In an interview with JIS News, Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of National Security and Peace, Shauna Trowers, said the reception and processing of IRMs is carefully coordinated among several government agencies to ensure that appropriate checks are conducted and that returnees are connected with the services available to assist their transition.

“The Ministry of National Security’s perspective and our primary responsibility is to manage the risks associated with public safety, border control and offender supervision,” she pointed out.

“Even though the Ministry is a front-facing ministry for the reception of IRMs, the challenge must be met by every single ministry, department and agency (MDA) that has a social construct to it,” she said.

Emphasising that the challenges faced by IRMs require a whole-of-government response, Ms. Trowers noted that one of the first steps in the reintegration process is ensuring that returning migrants have access to critical information and support services upon arrival.

To facilitate this, the Ministry worked with other government entities and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) to develop an information booklet for both voluntary and involuntary returnees.

The booklet contains details on accommodation options, health services, social support programmes and other resources available to assist returnees as they resettle.

Ms. Trowers emphasised that the reception process begins as soon as chartered flights carrying IRMs arrive in Jamaica.

She explained that representatives from several agencies, including the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), Ministry of Health and Wellness,

Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), are present to provide immediate assistance and conduct the necessary processing.

She noted that social workers from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security play a critical role in gathering information from returnees and helping to connect them with the services they need.

“It’s one thing to give someone a booklet. The booklet is something for them to have so they can refer to it with a reference point, but we do collect information from the IRMs themselves and the designated persons would reach out to them,” she pointed out.

For individuals with criminal antecedents, additional oversight is provided through the JCF, including linkages to local police stations where necessary.

Ms. Trowers stressed that while the Government provides guidance, information and referrals; successful reintegration also depends on the willingness of returnees to engage with the available support systems.

“We do as much as we can… to point them to the right pathway,” she said.