Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter
JAMAICA HAS been negotiating with the Cayman Islands Government for a delay on its proposed imposition of visa restrictions on Jamaicans who have been blamed for the growing crime rate there.
As of October 20, all Jamaicans travelling to Cayman are expected to acquire a visa to enter the country following lobbying by its Chamber of Commerce.
However, Jamaicans holding visas to the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States will not need a visa since the Cayman Government is satisfied with the security checks made by those countries in granting visas.
The restrictions follow a rise in violent crimes in Cayman and long-held concerns that Jamaica's high crime rate is being spread there by Jamaicans. The restrictions are part of Cayman's new legislation targeting nations deemed as high risk.
NO RESTRICTIONS ON CAYMAN
However, Jamaica has no such visa restrictions for Cayman nationals.
"Each country has the right to institute its own procedures to protect its borders. It is unfortunate that due to the behaviour of a few Jamaicans that some countries believe they have to react in this way," said K.D. Knight, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, who is negotiating for a delay.
Jamaica's Honorary Consul to the Cayman Islands, Robert Hamaty, told The Gleaner yesterday that he has requested a two-week delay in the implementation of the new requirement.
Yesterday he told The Gleaner that the request had been granted verbally through the secretary of the Government's chief civil servant, the Chief Secretary, but that he was awaiting official confirmation.
Mr. Knight said he was unaware of that development, but noted that, given the tone of negotiations, he "was not surprised".
Both Mr. Knight and Mr. Hamaty said they were concerned about Jamaicans being inconvenienced due to the suddenness of the restrictions.
"They made the announcement on Monday but this is very short notice ... But it is not discriminatory if you consider that Jamaica requires citizens from many countries, including from the Caribbean, to enter the country with a visa," said Mr. Hamaty.
He added that the Jamaican community, although concerned about the stigma of Jamaicans as criminals, sympathised with the action taken by the Cayman Government.
"I can't say it is wrong as the Cayman Government's response has been to protect their people and as Jamaicans we have to respect their law," he said. "We can't hang our heads in the sand and deny we (Jamaica) are not a high crime area."
