DG defends Cuban policy
Cuban migrants on Cayman Brac, Friday 13 March 2015 (Photo by James Tibbetts)
(CNS): Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has defended the government policy on handling the arrivals of Cuban migrants, saying that it saves lives. He also pointed out that if the Cayman Islands continues to support illegal immigration and people smuggling we will be added to a black list by the UN.
Joining into a Facebook conversation about the latest boatload of migrants, who were taken into custody Friday, the deputy governor pointed to the number of Cubans who die horrible deaths on the treacherous journey from Cuba to the US.
“Are we really being compassionate when we send the Cubans to this?” he asked.
Manderson said that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the international protection agency for refugees, had advised the CIG that some 3,000 migrants died in the Caribbean last year.
The UNHCR has asked Cayman “again” not to support illegal immigration and not to allow Cubans to travel in unsafe vessels, he said.
“How many Cuban who have left our waters failed to reach their destination?” Manderson asked. “Are we saying that the humane thing to do is to allow the Cubans who just arrived in a boat without a motor and pictured here to travel 300 miles? Is that really the humane thing to do? Our policy says that we do not support illegal migration, that we tell the Cubans that if they are fleeing persecution we will protect them but if they are economic migrants we will sent them back to Cuba.”
Cuban migrants on Cayman Brac, Friday 13 March 2015 (Photo by James Tibbetts)
Manderson also pointed to the consequences for the countries where the Cubans go to next if Cayman supports the illegal migration of economic migrants. He asked how we would react if one of our neighbouring countries gave 300 migrants some fuel and water and told them to “head down to Cayman Brac”.
Regarding cost, James Tibbetts a photographer on Cayman Brac who started the FB conversation, asked the DG how much it cost to the Cayman people to take the group into custody and house them before they are repatriated, to which the DG noted the liability that Cayman may be responsible for if they assist migrants who die on the journey.
“What is the cost of continually giving assistance to thousands of migrants some of whom may die? What is our liability for assisting migrants who later die at sea?
The US wet-foot, dry-foot policy allows Cubans the right to remain in the country if they step foot on American soil but if they are picked up at sea by the US authorities, they are sent back to Cuba. Because of this, many Cuban rafters attempt to reach the US by heading to Honduras, often trying to get help in the Cayman Islands on the way, and then up through Central America to the United States.
This route requires them to travel in small, cramped, dilapidated vessels, which typically do not have life vests, flare guns, navigation tools or radios, across a busy shipping lane.
The Cayman government policy is to provide any humanitarian assistance to the Cubans that they need, but if they accept any help, they will be taken into custody and sent back to Cuba. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that Cayman has signed with the Cuban government lays out the repatriation process.
Explaining the background to the CIG policy and how “Tent City” came into being, Manderson said on FB: “In the early 1990’s we began to see Cubans arrive just like they arrive now in very unsafe boats seeking assistance. Our policy at the time was to give assistance … so we gave assistance in the form of food water and fuel. Then the quality of the boats began to diminish so we helped them repair the boats.
“Soon the boats were of such low quality that they could not be repaired so we had to build a small camp to house the Cubans while they waited to be sent home. But more and more came and we spent many thousands of dollars providing assistance. What we didn’t know was that our assistance was ‘pulling’ more Cubans to leave Cuba, as they were not able to acquire enough food, water and fuel to take them to Honduras or Mexico and we were a key port for assistance. So what we were doing was supporting illegal immigration.
“In 1994 we received 1183 Cubans in a period of weeks and were left with a crisis which costs us $5 million. Why? Because we were known for our assistance and support for illegal immigration. After we learned our lesson we signed an MOU with Cuba to allow us to return the illegal migrants. We also stopped giving assistance and the Cubans stopped coming until a few years ago when we started giving assistance.
Speaker of the House Julianna O’Connor Connolly, an MLA for the Sister Islands, also joined the conversation.
“I have never supported this MOU and still support that should be given water, food, gas and allow them to continue on their journey,” she said. “It is the humane thing to do … do under others as you would want them to do to you…. When I had a say in policy that is what I supported and would strongly ask that this policy be reconsidered. I believe that this is what most Caymanians and residents want and at the end of the day it is the people that we represent.”
Category: Local News, Politics
basically what we are asking is to help the refugees, not shelter them and keep them as guest, but give as much help as possible, we can’t afford to give them a battery, but what’s water? what is filling a jug of water with your own TAP water? I’m more than sure if it were a caymanian going through half of what those Cubans go through it will be a huge fuss and war. if the government can’t help then at least allow the citizen to get close and give them from their own pockets.
Do you have a money tree to give to the Caymanian people to support this cause? Do you think Caymanians are rich people? Do you know how much it cost to buy food or clothes here? So don’t come with your outrageous gesture about allowing the Caymanian people to give them money from their own pockets! When last did you look at your high electric bill with CUC? Bottom line we live in a high economy, we can’t even afford to buy anything here anymore to even feed our own Children! Let’s face the facts here, the Caymanian people are suffering like everybody else in this economy. They know the risk! Everyone is responsible for their own actions! However, as Caymanians, we all have a heart, we are humane people, yes, we will support the government to feed them, but, keep it moving!
Wuldnt it be sad when caymanians have to leave by rickety boats end up in cuba and get sent back after sitting in cuban prison
That is what karma is planning with you savages
hope you remember what you did to others
I hope those that run this rock are the first to have to go in those boats when chaos takes over
Why is this even a debate? People just do not understand the human catastrophe it would become should not only Cayman but all of Cuba’s closet neighbors who have similar policies allow the flood gates to be opened. No one truly knows how many Cubans have drowned at sea since 1959 when they thought all they had to do was make it to the next neighboring land mass where they would receive their “freedom”. Miami has never been the same since US President Jimmy Carter in collusion with Fidel Castro forced an open door policy on his own country and allowed Cubans to come freely into the US. Only to find out later Castro had deviously outsmarted Carter by opening up the Cuban jails and mental health institutes so the “undesirables” of Cuban society would no longer be Castro’s problem. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/castro-announces-mariel-boatlift
Let’s boil it down: Cuba’s population in 2013 was 11,270,000. The Cayman Islands population in 2013 was 58,435. That is Cayman’s population is .53 of 1% the size of Cuba’s. Cuba’s population is 192.86 times that of Cayman. The entire land mass of Cuba is 42,426 mi² (109,884 km²). The entire land mass of ALL THREE Cayman Islands is 100 mi² (259 km²). A land mass the size of the Cayman Islands would fit into the Cuban land mass 424.26 times.
The policy is in place to discourage Cubans from risking their lives and taking to the treacherous seas. Word always gets back and if the greater population knew they could either stop off or even come to stay in Cayman with no restrictions they would come in droves. Now every Cuban would not come but imagine a repeat of the 125,000 Cuban that made it out of Cuba during the Mariel Boat lift coming to Cayman. Start to get the picture now????
If numbers do not mean nothing to you reality will. Soon after the Cayman Islands is swamped with immigrants, the economic miracle that is the Cayman Islands would be crushed. There would be rampant inflation as the most basic food items would become expensive and scare as the cargo ships would not be able to deliver good and goods fast enough. Crime would rise unchecked. Oh, it seems like a doomsday scenario does it? Well let’s just go ahead and try the alternative and throw the doors open and see how that works.
The policy in place is the most humane solution for the people of the failed Communist state that is Cuba. Yet time after the time, the Cayman Islands must tolerate the ignorance and ridicule of the uninformed and uneducated with statements such as un-“christian”, inhumane and the best one ever “draconian”. PURE RUBBISH. You can be the enabler and have the blood of the bloated future Cuban drowning victims on your hands but I can say emphatically I will not. The existing policy is one thing successive governments have gotten right and for that all of humanity can be proud.
Well, well – look who’s awaken from her 22 months of slumber – dear Queen Julie. Too bad someone couldn’t have roused her up a few months ago when the PAC was looking at all of those expenses she incurred when she was in power – like all of those hotel bills in the Brac, etc.
Oh, I forgot – she was PARDONED by King Alden so she didn’t need to even roll over when the PAC was looking answers. Do us a favour please – try go back sleep for another 26 months, if your new King lasts that long:). I doubt he will.
But no, she’s an expert at singing from any hymn book as long as she can get a place in the choir so she picked this topic to open her mouth because she know that her fellow Brackers liked it when they could be the ‘suppliers’ of these transients. What the government needs to do is adopt a policy that whatever island they come ashore in has to put them up til it’s time to send them back.
Did you know that the Brackers donate freely to the Cubans without receiving anything in return? As long as that happens it cost the government very little.
Apart from that the remainder of you comment is correct.
History repeats itself what if nobody helped he Jews to escape or the Catholics escape.
Imagine the crimes against humanity,
I for 1 would offer any assistance I could.
God will judge me and I a sure he will smile upon me as he does everyday now.
Others may not be so lucky.
I don’t think God will say you are excused due to politricks.
I would like to be there when they try the excuse it was policy and it cost a lot of money
I understand the governments viewpoint on this, and it’s all PR. Instead of spending money to help Cubans, the government decides to spend money, AND risk the safety of its own people, by housing the Cubans and repatriating them. Personally, I believe that the government should step back from the whole thing, and allow citizens to make the decision. Those who are willing and able to give from their own pockets will help, and those who are not willing or not able, will not have to bear the cost. No matter how the government gets involved, there’s a large cost associated with it. It’s cheaper for the government to lessen restrictions and simply act as a backup plan, than for it to be the only player in the game. For once I agree with Ms. Julianna. What is wrong with helping these Cubans? They left their country in these rafts knowing the danger that they put themselves into. Whatever they go through in Cuba must be worth the risk of death at sea. They have accepted these risks.
If we helped replenish the minimal food, water and fuel supplies necessary to support the lives of those determined to continue; if we helped to mend or shore-up their boats, sails, and engines, or gave them an EPIRB, lifejackets and temporary safe harbour for coming bad weather; we would be no less than human. They’d certainly have much better fighting odds than current draconian un-Christian policy and at a fraction of our current repatriation burden. These are not recreational migrants, these are determined refugees willing to risk it all. That’s a big difference. Clearly, there is a great disparity in our national policy action in regard to these poor souls. Some are fed and sheltered on beachheads and allowed to continue to Honduras, others are imprisoned and sent back depending on what island they happen upon and who’s on duty. We certainly need to clarify our national policy and think about which side of history we want to be on.
As the former CIO whose officers where charged with enforcing the MOU does he really have any choice but to defend it?
Mrs. O’ Conner Connolly, is right. This is the civil thing to do. Give these immigrants, water, food, gas and then allow them to continue on their journey! These immigrants know the risk they are taking, they are not Children. We all know right from wrong! I feel this is negligence on their part. If you want to jeopardize your family lives, then that’s on you! If we keep them here longer than we should, it would cost the C. I Government thousands and thousands of dollars to house them. The Cayman Islands Government cannot even afford to take proper care of their own people, much-less other expatriates! If you want to resolve this resolution, then ask your own Caymanian people, let them vote on this bill!