U.S. Committee for Refugees World Refugee Survey 2000 - Jamaica
| Publisher | United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants |
| Publication Date | 1 June 2000 |
| Cite as | United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, U.S. Committee for Refugees World Refugee Survey 2000 - Jamaica , 1 June 2000, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a8c22c.html [accessed 8 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Jamaica
Jamaica hosted 37 refugees and asylum seekers at year's end. The largest number were from Cuba, with 17 recognized refugees, followed by Haiti, with nine, and Sierra Leone, with seven. Eighteen Cubans applied for asylum during the year; all were denied. Three Somalis (all who applied for asylum) were granted humanitarian status.
Jamaica has signed the UN Refugee Convention and Protocol, but has not enacted implementing legislation. In 1999, Jamaica adjudicated asylum claims through a governmental ad-hoc eligibility committee comprised of members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the attorney general's office, and the Ministry of National Security and Justice. The committee has denied all claims to refugee status by Cubans and Haitians since 1994. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided advice to the eligibility committee on request, but did not always have access to the procedure.
