Opposition Leader Mark Golding has drawn a sharp distinction between the agreement signed by Dr Peter Phillips in 2004 and one inked just days ago by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang, calling the former a routine national security arrangement, while slamming as “unprecedented” the other, which he says turns Jamaica into a dumping ground for migrants.

Drawing on the United Kingdom’s “unlawful” Rwanda asylum scheme and ongoing legal battles in the United States Federal Court, Golding countered claims that the agreement signed by Chang, who is also the minister of national security and peace, is an extension of security frameworks established under previous administrations.

On Wednesday, Chang confirmed that the Government had signed a memorandum of understanding for Jamaica to received third-country nationals from the US.