I do not know the statistics, but I would guess that Jamaica has to fall within the top-10 countries whose residents return home after spending years abroad. However, returning home to their homeland after years of hard work is not a pleasant experience for many.

Returning residents have now become victims of fraud, out-rageous government taxation, and outright robbery. Just recently one returning resident lost $20-million in the usual 'Let me build your house scam'.

From the Government to the ordinary man on the street, everyone is targeting foreigners. With Jamaica's gross domestic product is stagnant, the way of life is for the Government to depend on remittances and returning resident bringing in goods to overcharge them while the man on the street waiting to rob them.

Hard life

There are many public officials and ordinary citizen with US visas, green cards and US passports, but they only use them to shop in Miami. They would not spend a week in New York, London or Ontario. Why? It is too cold to work and go through that hard life. Yet, the same people can't wait until persons go abroad, spend 40 years to save their little money and then to extract it from them on their return by whatever means necessary.

Can you imagine what Jamaica would be like without remittances and the support from residents abroad of their families in Jamaica? Yet, there is no respect given to returning residents and very little protection from the Government. If the Government does not do more to protect returning residents, one day there will be none and even it may have to go look for a real day job.

I am, etc.,

ALVIN BUCHANAN

alvinb@htn.net

Sebring, Florida