Minister with responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements, Hon. Robert Montague, has announced that effective June 9, 2026, persons who newly occupy Crown lands will no longer be eligible for Government settlement programmes, as part of a series of measures aimed at curbing illegal land occupation and accelerating access to legal land ownership.

Addressing the House of Representatives during his contribution to the 2026/2027 Sectoral Debate yesterday (June 9, 2026), Minister Montague said this forms part of the Government’s efforts to eliminate incentives for the illegal occupation and sale of state-owned lands.

The Minister issued a strong warning to individuals involved in land scamming and unauthorised land sales, stressing that Crown lands cannot be legally sold by private individuals or community representatives.

“No MP, Councillor, JP, big man nor area leader can sell government lands. Those persons scamming people and saying it’s the Member of Parliament who send them, stop. Because it nuh go soh,” he declared.

Minister Montague said the Government has completed drone and spatial surveys of Crown lands across the island and will intensify enforcement action against illegal occupiers and persons involved in the unlawful sale of state-owned properties.

“We are removing the incentive for land scamming,” Minister Montague said, noting that “lands intended for schools, clinics, roads and other public infrastructure are increasingly being targeted by illegal occupants.

He further disclosed that a major programme aimed at addressing land access for landless Jamaicans will be announced in the coming months. The initiative, he said, will seek to expand access to land while safeguarding property rights and supporting orderly national development.