CHAIRMAN of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Robert Montague has called on local authorities to push the Administration of United States (US) President-elect Donald Trump for an increase in the number of farm and hotel work visas issued to Jamaicans.

Montague made the call at the public session of the party’s 81st annual conference on Sunday, when he congratulated Trump on his election victory.

The JLP chairman argued that an increase in the US visas would help to empower Jamaicans by providing them with opportunities for growth and development.

“Many people across Jamaica want the opportunity to go on the programme to better their lives and the lives of their families. We must continue to discuss all Jamaicans with clean records to travel visa-free,” said Montague.

“This Government is active because we want to see you become strong. We don’t want to give you a handout — we want to give you an opportunity to improve yourself,’’ added Montague.

According to data from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, approximately 5,000 agriculture workers travel to the United States each year to engage in a variety of farming activities, including planting and harvesting of fruit and vegetable crops.

Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), in its Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 2023 edition, reported that there was a downward movement in the combined number of Jamaican participants in the US farm work and hospitality programmes, by 0.3 per cent, to 5,544 people.

“This was due to a reduction in the number of participants in the US hospitality programmes, which declined by 14.2 per cent to 1,238 persons. Conversely, the number of participants in the US Farm Work Programme grew by 4.6 per cent to 4,306 persons due to a 4.8 per cent increase in male participants in this programme.

“The increase in the number of participants in the US Farm Work Programme could be a result of the [Labour and Social Security] Ministry’s initiative to partner with more recruitment agents in late 2022,” PIOJ said.

The ministry has indicated that it aims to increase the number of farm workers in the US by 10 per cent this year.

In the meantime, Montague wants Jamaica to press outgoing US President Joe Biden to pardon Jamaican National Hero Marcus Garvey, before leaving office.

“We must today ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to redouble its efforts to have placed before President Biden a request for pardon for Marcus Mosiah Garvey, before the end of January. Please remind the president that the Black Star Liner company was registered in Delaware [which is Biden’s hometown],” said Montague.

Garvey was imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta, Georgia in 1925, following his conviction for mail fraud. The charges brought against Garvey related to the sale of stock in Black Star Line Inc, a corporation then existing under the laws of Delaware.

His imprisonment was to be for five years but in 1927 US President Calvin Coolidge commuted his sentence and had him deported to Jamaica as an alien with a felony record.