Displacing Danger: Managing Crime Through Deportation

This paper traces the development of the introduction of Bill C-44, the “danger to the public” clause that amended the Immigration Act of Canada in 1995, and considers the effects of the amendment to Canadian deportation policy on Jamaican nationals living in Canada. Starting with an examination of the increase in criminal deportation to Jamaica from Canada, the paper draws attention to the overall increases in total deportations to Jamaica from other countries including the USA and the UK between 1990 and 2004. Official crime statistics, and interviews with deported individuals and other Jamaican stakeholders are used to highlight the negative effects of deportation on deported persons and on the Jamaican society. The paper concludes with a discussion of deportation as a form of punishment and considers the implications of current deportation practices on global conceptions of security.