More than 11,000 Jamaicans were deported from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and several other countries between 2010 and last year.

Amid the controversy over the proposed prisoner transfer deal between Jamaica and the UK, data from the Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica show that 11,886 Jamaicans were deported for various criminal and immigration violations over the five-year period.

The figures show that 5,853 or nearly half that number were deported from the US followed by the UK, which sent back 1,659 Jamaicans.

Steady decline

Canada was next, deporting 1,055 Jamaicans.

A total of 3,319 were deported from various other countries.

A breakdown of the data shows that there has been a steady decline in deportees coming from the US, moving from 1,037 in 2010 to 833 last year.

It was a similar story with the UK, as the number of Jamaicans who were deported from that country dipped from 458 in 2010 to 290 last year.

Police Commissioner Dr Carl Williams says he has concerns about the influx of deportees, especially those convicted for serious crimes.

Williams says he is not very worried about those persons deported for immigration violations, but about the return of thousands of criminals.