Terrelonge hails diaspora’s US$3.12b contribution to Jamaica

Jamaicans overseas sent home US$3.12 billion in remittances during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, with contributions increasing significantly in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, underscoring the diaspora’s role in Jamaica’s economic stability and national development.

Alando Terrelonge, minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade with responsibility for diaspora affairs, disclosed that Jamaicans abroad sent an additional US$93 million home during the three months immediately following the hurricane, compared with the corresponding period a year earlier. December 2025 recorded a historic monthly high of US$296 million.

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Terrelonge was addressing more than 300 delegates at the opening of the second Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia on Friday.