THE EDITOR, Sir:
ON WEDNESDAY April 11, 2001 my nephew (name withheld for fear of reprisals) arrived at Jamaica's Norman Manley International Airport, on the 3:20 pm. Air Jamaica flight (flight # JM22). My nephew is an American citizen born to Jamaican parentage who immigrated to the United States during the 1970s. While clearing Jamaican customs, he was detained and refused entry to the island. My nephew visited Jamaica on several occasions and was never detained or refused entry.
He has never violated any laws on previous visits to Jamaica, nor is he in flight from US authorities. All his legal documents are intact. He was detained from 3:20 until approximately 8:30 p.m. then put on a flight back to Miami where his flight to Jamaica originated. My nephew was never given any reasons for his detention or refusal entry to the Island.
Besides, on the Notice of Refusal there were not any reasons given. Plus, to add insult to injury, his father who currently resides in Jamaica and arrived at the airport to pick up his son, also was not given any reasons for his son's detention, When he protested, he was summarily removed from the airport under the watchful- eyes of (trigger-happy?) policemen.
Is this the policy of the Jamaica customs authorities, to randomly select visitors for entry or refusal to Jamaica without giving justification? When did Jamaica become dictatorial?
I am etc.,
A CONCERNED UNCLE
Via Go-Jamaica
