JO - ‘Families in jeopardy'

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

‘Families in jeopardy'

BY PETRE WILLIAMS-RAYNOR williamsp@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, March 07, 2010


MORE than 12,000 Jamaicans were deported in the last four years, many of whom have left families behind, with potentially dire consequences.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Over the years the majority of those deported have been men. Last year, for example, of the 3,076 people deported, 2,687 were men aged 18 years and older, according to statistics from the Ministry of National Security. In 2008, of the 3,234 people deported, 2,759 were males, while in 2007, of the 2,984 people deported, 2,491 were males. In 2006, 3,003 people were deported with males accounting for 2,532 of that number."

"(T)here is a current case of a young man in his twenties -- the father of an infant child -- who is facing deportation."

"Such separation, he said, is devastating for children and boys in particular."

"(B)oys, he said, are prone to involvement in crime and delinquency."

""If our government is big and bad enough to face down the powerful United States over a man US authorities say they want for trafficking in narcotics and illegal guns, then, surely, that same government ought to be bold enough to make meaningful representation whenever US authorities intend to deport a US-Jamaican permanent resident who is a model father and faithful breadwinner," he said."

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"Jurisdictions have taken a hard line against illegal migrants and others who run afoul of the law, especially since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US. But even before 9/11, the United States had begun to crack down on migrants, courtesy of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.

The act provides the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement extensive powers while limiting judicial review of deportation and detention decisions made by immigration judges. At the same time, it has expanded the scope of crimes that are grounds for deportation, according to Headley's Deported Volume I."

JG - Teen prostitutes - Negril - trafficking hotbed, girls in poverty abducted

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

Teen prostitutes - Negril - trafficking hotbed, girls in poverty abducted

published: Sunday June 29, 2008

Avia Collinder, Sunday Gleaner Writer

A REPORT on human trafficking in Jamaica, commissioned by the National Task Force against Trafficking in Persons within the Ministry of National Security, reveals a connection between sexual exploitation, forced labour and tourism.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Completed late last year, the report: 'Human trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labour in Jamaica', was prepared by Sybil Ricketts and Dr Leith Dunn of Kingston-based Searchcon Resource Consultants.

The study was conducted in Kingston and St Andrew, Negril in Westmoreland and Montego Bay, St James.

The findings indicate that the tourist industry, more specifically, the informal sex industry, is a significant contributor to the exploitation of individuals."

"The findings showed that several children in the western resort town of Negril were victims of human trafficking, which was directly related to increased advertising for escort services.

Eleven victims from the area were singled out in the study."

"A non-random sampling method was used to select persons for interviews, and a snowballing method employed to reach a sample size of 29 victims.

Snowballing involves identifying key informants who then referred researchers to other respondents."

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"(T)the report confirms that the victims of trafficking are predominantly female (79.3 per cent) with the modal age group being 18 to 24 years, primarily high school leavers without children or partners.

Forty-three per cent of the victims were involved in exotic dancing or commercial sex work."

JG - Mega ammo probe at JRA

Jamaica Gleaner

Mega ammo probe at JRA


Published: Sunday March 8, 2009


Glenroy Sinclair and Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporters


A SHIPMENT of more than half a million rounds of ammunition, being imported by the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) gun club in St Andrew, has been ordered detained by the Government, pending an audit of the club's facility by the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA).

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The Ministry of National Security confirmed on Friday that the FLA, as part of its monitoring and inspection programme, was in the process of conducting an audit of the JRA facility. As a result, the shipment of ammunition has been held."

Consignment stored by JDF

A high-ranking staff member at the security ministry has explained that security arrangements require the consignment to be stored at a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) facility for safekeeping."

"In the meantime, senior officials at the FLA are concerned that lax security measures governing the storage of ammunition at the JRA's range could result in bullets ending up on the streets."

"The gun-licensing authority also slammed members of the rifle association, claiming that they had hindered the successful completion of the audit and inspection. The FLA argued that fewer than half of the 480 lockers being used by JRA members had been made available for audit and inspection, despite having been given sufficient notice."

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"The lockers, each having a unique number, are rented to members for the storage of their firearms and ammunition. They are secured with padlocks and only the owners have access to them.

Goodgame wrote to Colonel Audley Carter, president of the JRA, on November 5, 2008, informing him of the pending audit and inspection on the 15th of the same month.

The writing was on the wall that a stand-off was in the making when Carter responded five days later.

His letter stated: "We have examined the Firearms Act and we are unable to locate any provision therein which authorises your personnel to carry out searches without the benefit of a search warrant and, as we are sure that you are well aware, the individual lockers within the Jamaica Rifle Association would be akin to a safety-deposit box in a bank vault. Therefore, a blanket search warrant would not be appropriate. "

"It would appear that in order for your personnel to gain access to the lockers, for which consent cannot be obtained, you will be required to obtain individual search warrants for each locker." "