Jamaica: Information on whether a person born in Trinidad of a Trinidadian father and a Jamaican mother has a right to Jamaican citizenship if the person is not a minor
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | JAM23116.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Jamaica: Information on whether a person born in Trinidad of a Trinidadian father and a Jamaican mother has a right to Jamaican citizenship if the person is not a minor, 1 February 1996, JAM23116.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab6a1c.html [accessed 4 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. |
In a 2 February 1996 telephone interview the consul at the Jamaican Consulate in Toronto stated that a person born in Trinidad to a Jamaican mother has the right to claim Jamaican citizenship and the right to reside and live in Jamaica. The source added that although an individual with one parent of Jamaican citizenship has the right to reside in Jamaica without claiming his/her citizenship, the person will be refused entry if deported by a third party prior to having made a claim for Jamaican citizenship (ibid.).
In order to claim citizenship the individual must present birth documents identifying the mother as well as the mother's passport (ibid.). For an explanation of which documents are required and the procedures for applying for Jamaican citizenship, please refer to Response to Information Request JAM19872.E of 14 March 1995. The mother is not required to consent to the child's decision to claim Jamaican citizenship if the applicant is not a minor, and there are no restrictions on the age of applicants for citizenship (ibid.).
The consul added that the law was amended in 1994, to allow persons having either parent as a Jamaican citizen the right to apply for citizenship (ibid.). Before 1994, only children born to Jamaican fathers could claim Jamaican citizenship (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Jamaican Consulate, Toronto. 2 February 1996. Telephone interview with consul.
