The Potential Jamaican Impact of Criminal Deportees from the U.S.

Using data collected on Jamaican criminal deportees and data from the U.S. census and the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, annual remittances losses to Jamaica resulting from deportation are estimated to be $1.9 million. Murders and reported rapes in Jamaica are estimated to be 5% higher due to criminal deportation. We estimate there are 84,749 Jamaican-born illegal aliens in the U.S. and Jamaican-born illegal aliens are 45% less likely to commit crimes than legally admitted aliens. We demonstrate that criminal deportation is unlikely to rise in the near future and U.S. gains from deportation are greater than Jamaican losses. (C) 2007 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.