JAMAICA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON HAITI'S WAIVER OF TOURIST

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