Jamaica Diaspora

The quarterly intelligence report on Jamaica’s global diaspora for October–December 2019: Jamaica’s 2019 remittance total reaches approximately US$2.9 billion — a record high — driven by a buoyant Christmas season, Jamaica’s tourism sector posts a record year for stopover arrivals, the UK’s Brexit saga heads toward a January 2020 deadline affecting British-Jamaican settlement rights, planning for the 9th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference (June 2020) accelerates, and Trump’s immigration enforcement continues to generate anxiety across diaspora communities.

The quarterly intelligence report on Jamaica’s global diaspora for October–December 2019: Jamaica’s 2019 remittance total reaches approximately US$2.9 billion, tourism posts a record year for stopover arrivals, Brexit heads toward a January 2020 deadline, planning for the 9th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference accelerates, and Trump immigration enforcement continues.

The third five-year retrospective of the Jamaica Diaspora & Returnee Update series surveys 2015–2019: the Brexit referendum of June 2016 reshapes the political context for British-Jamaican communities; Donald Trump’s 2016 election transforms the US immigration environment; Usain Bolt wins his third consecutive 100m Olympic gold at Rio and retires; the Windrush scandal erupts in 2018 as the moral nadir of UK immigration policy; the 7th and 8th Biennial conferences maintain the framework; and remittances grow from US$2.2 billion to US$2.6 billion.

The Jamaica Diaspora Annual Roundup for 2019: Boris Johnson becomes UK Prime Minister in July and delivers Brexit; the UK general election produces a Conservative landslide in December; the Windrush Lessons Learned Review is commissioned; Jamaica’s Andrew Holness wins re-election with a strengthened majority; and remittances to Jamaica reach US$2.6 billion as the digital transfer revolution deepens.

Jamaica’s housing market closes November 2019 in strong form: record tourism, post-IMF confidence, robust NHT delivery, and diaspora demand all drive an active year-end market.

The quarterly intelligence report on Jamaica’s global diaspora for July–September 2019: the Reggae Boyz reach the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals for the first time in history before falling to the USA 3-1 on 3 July, Trump announces major ICE enforcement operations in July targeting undocumented immigrants in ten US cities, Jamaica’s tourism continues its record-breaking trajectory, and remittance inflows maintain strong momentum.

In April 2019, the Windrush Compensation Scheme finally opened. In May, Theresa May — the Home Secretary who had created the hostile environment that produced the Windrush scandal — resigned as Prime Minister. Neither event delivered the closure the Caribbean community sought, but together they marked a turning point.

The quarterly intelligence report on Jamaica’s global diaspora for April–June 2019: the Reggae Boyz have just made history by reaching the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals for the first time ever — defeating Panama 2-0 on 30 June — with the USA semi-final scheduled for tomorrow, 3 July, Jamaica’s tourism sector posts another strong quarter, remittances sustain their growth trajectory, and Trump’s immigration enforcement and rhetoric continue to shape diaspora community life.

The quarterly intelligence report on Jamaica’s global diaspora for January–March 2019: nine months on from the 8th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference of June 2018, the US government shutdown ends after 35 days and Trump declares a national emergency for his border wall, Jamaica’s economy continues its steady growth trajectory under PM Holness, the National Diaspora Policy enters its second year of implementation, and Jamaica’s remittance inflows remain on a positive growth trajectory.

Six months after the Windrush scandal broke, the Caribbean community in Britain was monitoring a government that had promised much and delivered little. The Windrush Lessons Learned Review was underway. Sajid Javid was at the Home Office. And the Carnival, after a break for rain, had returned to Notting Hill.

The quarterly intelligence report on Jamaica’s global diaspora for October–December 2018: six months on from the 8th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, the US midterm elections deliver a Democratic House majority with significant Caribbean-American electoral participation, the Windrush Compensation Scheme design advances under new Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Jamaica’s 2018 tourism season posts another record performance, and Christmas remittances build toward another strong annual total.

The Jamaica Diaspora Annual Roundup for 2018: the Windrush scandal explodes into full public view in April, forcing an apology from the Home Secretary and the Windrush compensation scheme; the 8th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference is held; Brexit negotiations reach a withdrawal agreement but Parliament rejects it; the US family separation immigration policy shocks the nation; and remittances to Jamaica pass US$2.5 billion.

The quarterly intelligence report on Jamaica’s global diaspora for July–September 2018: three months on from the landmark 8th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, the Windrush scandal produces a historic apology and compensation pledge from the UK government, the US Supreme Court upholds Trump’s travel ban, the family separation crisis ends by court order, and Jamaica’s remittance and tourism performance remains strong.

In April 2018, the Windrush scandal became impossible to ignore. Caribbean leaders confronted Theresa May at a Commonwealth summit in London. Amber Rudd resigned as Home Secretary. And Britain was forced to reckon, publicly and painfully, with what it had done to the generation that had answered its call.

The quarterly intelligence report on Jamaica’s global diaspora for April–June 2018: the 8th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference convenes in Montego Bay in June with over three thousand diaspora participants, the Windrush scandal reaches its peak as Home Secretary Amber Rudd resigns and Prime Minister Theresa May apologises to Caribbean community members, Trump’s family separation policy produces global outrage before being ended by executive order on 20 June, and Jamaica’s economy maintains its positive trajectory.