Jamaica is in talks with Washington over accepting third-country migrants deported by the United States, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Security Minister Horace Chang said in a statement on Tuesday.U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has overseen a mass deportation drive, sealing deals with several countries to act as hosts for deportees of third nationalities often in exchange for payment, with El Salvador the most well-known example for holding over 200 Venezuelans in an anti-terrorism prison for four months.“This is an MOU (memorandum of understanding) and not a binding agreement,” Chang said, adding that “respect for human rights remains a central principle.”“Lessons were taken” from similar arrangements in the region, including the Caribbean nations of Belize, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis, he added.Under the deal, Jamaica would act as a transit country for U.S. deportees, transferring up to 25 people every fortnight and hosting no more than 10 migrants at a time as it arranges travel to another country or their home nation.The U.S. State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment.The deal was previously reported by the Jamaica Gleaner, which said up to 10,000 deportees could be accepted under the deal. Chang said Jamaica had not agreed to such a quota.The U.S. said it would support all associated costs and related arrangements, Chang said, noting people with criminal backgrounds will not be accepted.