Cablegate: Jamaica: Demarche Delivered On Haiti's Waiver of Tourist

VZCZCXRO0879
OO RUEHGR
DE RUEHKG #0900 3001952
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271951Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0189
INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0044
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000900

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/CAR (JMACK-WILSON) (BALVARADO) (VDEPIRRO) (WSMITH)
L/LEI (CHOLLAND) (AKLUESNER)
INR/IAA (GBOHIGAN)
JUSTICE FOR OIA (PPETTY)
TREASURY FOR ERIN NEPHEW
INR/RES (RWARNER)
CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIBBEAN BASIN COLLECTIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CVIS KFRD KTIP KCRM HA CH JM XL
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON HAITI'S WAIVER OF TOURIST
VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR CHINESE NATIONALS

1. (U) Per reftel, Emboff delivered demarche expressing USG
concerns that the Government of Haiti (GOH)'s recent removal of
tourist visa requirements for nationals of the People's Republic of
China (PRC) would lead to increases in alien smuggling and human
trafficking networks and encourage intending immigrants from PRC to
use Haiti in attempts to enter the U.S. illegally. Demarche was
delivered to Ms. Jennifer McDonald, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of the Government of Jamaica (GOJ)'s Passport, Immigration, and
Citizenship Agency (PICA) on the afternoon of October 26. Emboff
also sought the GOJ's views on the GOH's action and requested that
the GOJ assist USG in monitoring the transit of Chinese nationals
and other suspect travelers en route to Haiti.

2. (U) Ms. McDonald informed Emboff that the GOJ had been unaware
of the GOH's policy change and that PICA had detected no
identifiable changes in movements of PRC nationals through Jamaica.
Emboff was assured that any changes in PRC travel trends would be
shared with the U.S. Embassy.
Parnell

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