THE NUMBER of immigrants to Jamaica has been growing over the past three years, but the figure remains significantly lower than locals seeking permanent residence abroad, according to the most recent migration data published by the Planning Institute of Jamaica.
The data for 2002 also indicate that for the second time in five years deportees have outstripped Commonwealth citizens as the largest category of entrants.
Last year, there were 3,306 deportees entering Jamaica - having been expelled mainly from the United States and the United Kingdom - representing 42 per cent of the total 7,858 immigrants counted by the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Compared, there were 2,237 Commonwealth citizens taking up residence here, 1,202 aliens and 1,113 returning residents, as reported by the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 2002.
The numbers of deportees have been growing since the year 2000 by an average of just under 800 per year.
The United States continued to be the largest exporter of unwanted aliens, accounting for 1,547, but the growth in deportees largely resulted from an almost doubling of those expelled from the United Kingdom, from 765 in 2001 to last year's 1,462.
Only 141 were expelled by Canada, down from 203 in the year prior, while the remaining 156 came from 'other' countries.
