Concern has emerged among Jamaican officials over a reported increase in the number of nationals who have recently been refused entry at a United States airport.
Jamaica’s Consul General for Miami, Franz Hall, has cited that a number of Jamaicans who arrived at the Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas, have been denied entry to the US, and had their visas cancelled.
Speaking on Friday on ‘Both Sides of the Story’, which is aired Jamaica, Hall said Jamaican authorities are troubled by the development.
He conceded that immigration officials in any foreign country have the right to determine who they allow into the respective countries. However, he said Jamaica also has a responsibility to ensure that its citizens are treated fairly when they travel abroad.
Hall’s outline follows a case earlier this month, when Veronica Gaubault, a Jamaican woman, complained about treatment she reportedly received at the Hobby Airport.
Gaubault said US border and customs personnel confiscated and inspected her cell phone, along with a tablet computer and other personal belongings.
She complained of being held in custody for a period of four hours, and that her US visa was revoked before she was sent back to Jamaica.
The concern among Jamaican officials relating to increased scrutiny at US airports followed the recent issuance of expanded powers to US border and customs personnel by President Donald Trump.
