Jamaica Diaspora Sent Home $3.12 Billion in Remittances
Originally published by South Florida Caribbean News Read the original
PHILADELPHIA — Jamaicans overseas sent home $3.12 billion in remittances during fiscal year 2025-26, underscoring the diaspora’s role in Jamaica’s economy and recovery from Hurricane Melissa, a government minister said Friday.
Alando N. Terrelonge, minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade with responsibility for diaspora affairs, said Jamaicans abroad sent an additional $93 million home during the three months immediately after the hurricane compared with the same period a year earlier. Remittances reached a record monthly high of $296 million in December 2025.
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Terrelonge spoke to more than 300 delegates at the opening of the second Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Minister Terrelonge Hails Diaspora’s Contribution To Jamaica
He thanked Jamaicans overseas for their generosity and commitment to the country, saying the diaspora’s contributions extend beyond remittances to professional expertise, volunteerism, cultural advocacy and community engagement.
“Your contributions to Jamaica’s continued growth and development, even more so in the aftermath of the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, to help guide our steady recovery must be acknowledged,” he said.
Terrelonge also recognized the leadership and support of Jamaican communities across the northeastern United States.
“Jamaica’s diaspora is indeed a veritable partner in the continued growth and development of Jamaica, and on behalf of our government and people, I thank you for your continued generosity,” he added.
The two-day conference, held Oct. 23-24 under the theme “One Diaspora, One Vision: Advancing Jamaica Together,” brought together government officials, diplomats, business executives, investors, educators, health care professionals, community leaders and young professionals. Participants explored ways to strengthen the diaspora’s contribution to Jamaica.
Jamaica Diaspora Support Goes Beyond Remittances
Terrelonge said the government intends to strengthen its relationship with Jamaicans overseas by moving beyond individual acts of goodwill toward sustainable programs, enduring partnerships and measurable national outcomes.
He cited the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Adopt-a-Clinic program as an example of the diaspora’s impact on public services. As of October 2025, diaspora donors supported 37 of 59 adopted health clinics, committing more than 100 million Jamaican dollars to improve primary health care in communities across Jamaica.
He also highlighted Farm Up Jamaica, a New York-based nonprofit whose agricultural initiatives aim to strengthen local production, reduce food imports and increase exports through organic farming.
Other diaspora initiatives have included professional development programs and seminars in education, public health, science and technology, as well as support for school and health infrastructure through the National Education Trust and the National Health Fund.
Terrelonge said the initiatives show how collaboration between Jamaicans at home and abroad can support national development in practical, lasting ways.
“The Jamaica diaspora is, therefore, a reservoir of professional expertise, entrepreneurial capacity, innovation, networks and international experience,” he said.
He encouraged conference participants to identify opportunities to connect those resources more systematically with Jamaica’s development priorities.
Diaspora Investment and Jamaica’s 2027 Independence Celebration
Terrelonge said the government is exploring ways to deepen diaspora participation in national development by reducing institutional barriers to trade, business, investment and philanthropy.
He also cited opportunities to improve access to investments and expand diaspora participation on advisory boards, in knowledge-transfer programs and on policy committees.
Terrelonge encouraged Jamaicans overseas to see themselves not simply as contributors to the country’s recovery but as partners in shaping its future.
Looking ahead to Jamaica’s 65th anniversary of independence in 2027, he invited diaspora members to join official celebrations Aug. 5-8 under the theme “Celebrate, Connect, Experience, Give Back.”
He encouraged Jamaicans abroad to use the occasion to reconnect with family, support Jamaican businesses, explore investment opportunities and introduce younger generations to the island’s culture and heritage.
The opening session also featured Brian Wallace, Jamaica’s ambassador to the United Nations; Oliver Mair, Jamaica’s consul general in New York; and Lishann Salmon, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington.
The conference was organized under the leadership of Michelle Tulloch-Neil, Global Jamaica Diaspora Council representative for the Northeast United States. It followed the inaugural Northeast Diaspora Conference held in Philadelphia in 2025.
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