Jamaica’s Government says it is pursuing all avenues to safely evacuate Jamaican students living in Ukraine, following Russia’s military invasion on Thursday.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the only priority at this time is to get the students home.
He says latest information revealed there are 27 students remaining in Ukraine – 25 are in the city of Kharkiv and one in Kyiv. 15 have already left the country.
Prime Minister Holness says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade will maintain contact with the remaining students in Ukraine, while collaborating with neighbouring countries for assistance with evacuation efforts.
Meanwhile, Holness urged the students to keep in contact with the Jamaican Embassy of Berlin and their families, and to stay updated with accurate information services.
The Prime Minister noted Jamaica had to deal with a similar situation during the 2014 Ukraine crisis, when Russia annexed the region known as Crimea.
He said that at the time, Jamaican students were offered loans to assist them in evacuating the country.
Holness noted “it is not an unusual procedure. This is how most governments operate. They give the facility for their citizens to be able to get air tickets and travel plans right away and then on their return, a programme is worked out for repayment.”
He says at the time, the repayment of the loans was not pursued.
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