The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) says the recent attempt by the Grenadian immigration authorities to deport Jamaican journalist Tenesha Thomas is "an attack on press freedom".

Thomas, a former employee of The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre, was ordered last week to leave Grenada within 24 hours after immigration authorities noted that she had overstayed her time and the incorrect departure date had been stamped in her passport. She is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Tuesday.

"The Mitchell government, which uses the law as a tool to suppress freedom of expression, is at it again," PAJ President Desmond Richards said yesterday.

In condemning the action of the Grenadian immigration authorities, Richards noted that Prime Minister Keith Mitchell is the only regional leader in recent history who has filed a criminal libel suit against a journalist.