KINGSTON, Jamaica – One of 18 Jamaican students known to be studying in Russia has already left the country and others are planning to follow suit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has reported.
Director of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Ariel Bowen (left), engages with Undersecretary of the Diaspora, Protocol and Consular Affairs Division, Frantz Hall, during a Think Tank held on Wednesday. (Photo: JIS)Director of the Consular Department, Ariel Bowen, said on Wednesday that the Ministry was able to secure assistance for the student following a special request.
Other students, she added, are making plans to leave the country.
“We remain in touch with them, and we have offered that level of support and any other help they perceive that they may need from us,” Bowen said, adding that the Ministry has provided the students with guidance and information on no-visa-required countries and routes.
The Ministry evacuated more than 25 Jamaicans from Ukraine recently, following Russia’s military invasion of the country on February 24.
Nationals in Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe have been advised to prepare to leave for their safety.
Undersecretary of the Diaspora, Protocol and Consular Affairs Division, Frantz Hall, said that the Ministry is not aware of any Jamaicans who may still be in Ukraine.
“Jamaicans known to the Ministry through our Embassy in Berlin, which has responsibility for Ukraine, are all out and, thankfully, safe,” he noted.
He said it is important to have open channels of communication in any heightened situation, noting that the Ministry is prepared to assist persons who require support.
