By Chris Tufton, Contributor 
Scores of people gather at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in Kingston with the hope of gaining employment overseas. - File
BACK IN July 2002, in an article for The Sunday Gleaner, I mentioned the need for the Jamaican Government to become more deliberate in understanding and engaging the Jamaican migrant communities overseas. This argument was posited in the context of increasing bad publicity given to Jamaica and Jamaicans living in the United Kingdom, based on drug and gang- related offences. Here, the argument was made that through a process of networking and lobbying, more could be done to neutralise the negative perceptions that seemed to be growing in the UK, influenced at the time by extensive coverage in a few daily newspapers and radio and television programmes.
THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Given that Jamaicans living in the UK are not only drug couriers and gang members, but primarily decent law-abiding citizens, there was obvious unease and discomfort among our nationals, caused from this negative publicity. Law-abiding Jamaicans in the UK became threatened stakeholders in what otherwise had been a challenging but peaceful existence.
Although the negative publicity was cause for concern, it also created an opportunity for the Jamaican Government to engage and assist our nationals living in that country. Strategically, this was a chance for the Jamaican state to position itself as a representative of its nationals; an increasingly important and valuable constituency, although with a geographically extensive border. With new visa restrictions on Jamaicans visiting Britain, the need for a policy of engagement lingers.
RECOGNISING A NEED
One assumes that this is partly why the Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is now proposing to conduct a comprehensive examination of Jamaican migrant communities. However, based on the pronouncements this week by State Minister Delano Franklyn, the Government seems to be more concerned with tapping into the commercial value of the Jamaican diaspora.
Even so however, the Government's stance should be encouraged, particularly because Jamaicans abroad are so directly linked to the well-being of Jamaicans at home. Not just through remittances, but as ambassadors of our nation state. They are also important influencers of perceptions and by extension the support we get from foreign Governments and their nationals.
It should be noted that there is precedence for proactive Government action taken to strengthen ties between home country and nationals living abroad. Countries like India and The Republic of Ireland are case studies on the positive effect of nationals who reside outside the home country. These tend to contribute significantly, directly or otherwise, to the development of their local economy. In fact, India boasts that one of its most valuable export is its people.
One cannot ignore also, that with the current state of our economy, the Government must seek to avail itself of every opportunity to enhance economic activity and development. With remittances contributing an estimated 12 per cent of GDP (approximately US$1.2 billion), overseas Jamaicans cannot be ignored.
A CO-ORDINATED APPROACH
The bigger question however, is what is the role of Government in this process of understanding and engaging our migrant communities, and does the Government have the credibility to encourage Jamaicans to invest in Jamaica?
Further, on what basis would the Government seek to influence overseas Jamaicans to support or lobby on Jamaica's behalf? What is likely to motivate these overseas Jamaicans and how will they benefit from their efforts? Additionally, what is the role of the local private sector in supporting and exploiting the commercial value of the Jamaican overseas? And what is the role of Jamaican entrepreneurs within these Jamaican clusters located abroad?
These are critical questions for any study of our Jamaican migrant communities. Currently, these and other issues are the subject of a research project being developed by a group of academics from the Department of Management Studies, at the University of the West Indies.
ESTABLISHING LEGITIMACY
Even before any study however, a few assumptions can be made. Firstly, most Jamaicans migrate, particularly to North America and the United Kingdom, for economic reasons. In fact, most of our migrants can be described as economic refugees. Remittances flow largely because the opportunity to migrate rarely avail itself, at first, to entire families. Rather, one family member exploits the opportunity, legally or otherwise, to work multiple jobs, sending money back home to maintain those who are less fortunate. Even when entire families migrate the sense of community, within the Jamaican culture, still provides an incentive to send back barrels or otherwise to the less fortunate extended family members back home.
What seems apparent in all this is the negative perception that the typical Jamaican migrant have of Jamaican politics and politicians. This subject solicits very strong and even emotional views. Many blame successive Governments for the lack of economic opportunities in the country and for the crime and violence which seems now a part of our culture. These are major reasons why many left the country in the first place, and why many are unlikely to return.
With Government taking the blame for Jamaica's failings, the question must be asked, to what extent do they have the legitimacy to be the catalyst for further interaction and engagement with our nationals abroad? This is so particularly as economic contraction continues, with an accompanying stream of migration.
Time and further examination will allow for a better picture. However, what is clear, is that any attempt at engaging Jamaican migrants must be based on a mutually beneficial arrangement. In other words, overseas Jamaicans should not simply be seen as cash cows, waiting to be exploited, particularly if the Government is the driver of this process. This would re-enforce an already existing relationship based on suspicion and distrust.
Further, in a liberalised market, with increasing calls for a minimalist state, questions are likely to be raised on the extent to which Government should be an activist in this process or just a facilitator of the process. There are tremendous opportunities for various private sector interests that seek to understand the Jamaican Diaspora and in these cases greater efficiencies could be expected from private sector driven activities, with the likelihood of overseas Jamaicans more likely to benefit and therefore more likely to pay for services provided.
In this regard, I am encouraged by the Government's pronouncements to form an alliance with the private sector and academic community in moving forward. This is the appropriate step.
In the meantime, the Government should focus greater resources on helping Jamaican communities abroad to help themselves, even before they try to convince them to invest locally or return home. Specifically, Government should redefine the use of their personnel and embassies in these markets towards playing a greater role in helping these communities to organise. They should establish ongoing interaction with local community leaders to understand the challenges of these clusters, and should seek to promote Government-to-Govern-ment interface on issues of mutual concerns. This should be the first step in building trust and stronger ties between the Jamaican Diaspora and our Jamaican leaders.
Dr. Chris Tufton is a lecturer in the Department of Management Studies, UWI, and General Secretary of Generation 2000, an associate organisation of the Jamaica Labour Party.
