Don’t leave Jamaica without your Visa

Over the last 12 months I have noticed an increase in the number of countries that require Jamaicans to now have a visa to visit their country. Many Jamaicans recall the “horror” and shame when Cayman imposed visa restrictions on Jamaicans. Recently, Costa Rica imposed visa requirements for Jamaicans. I am not sure how many Jamaicans travel to this Central American country but I would bet it must be less than the number of people who turn up for a Passa Passa event in Jamaica.

Usually, the excuse given for imposing visa requirements is that Jamaicans are a set of trouble makers and therefore visa restrictions will solve whatever problems they have overnight. Imposing similar visa requirements for these countries may at least save some face. However, I am not sure how this will dissuade the remaining countries waiting to jump on the bandwagon. Problems faced in Cayman, Bermuda, Bahamas or any of the other countries that have gone this route, has nothing to do with Jamaicans visiting these countries freely. Personally I think this is discrimination and the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs should voice their concern at the United Nations. Let’s face it most of these countries are expressing the small country feel big mentality.

I cannot imagine the frequent Jamaican traveller who may want to do some backpacking across the Caribbean, what they have to go through just to enjoy the same privileges as any citizen from North America or Europe. Is this racism and is it possible that African Americans will also require visas to travel to these countries? I may be naïve for harbouring such thoughts but when the number of visas in my passport could likely be greater than the number of pages that my passport carries, I may just want to say “Take me to Ochie”