Brac deals with third Cuban boat this weekend
(CNS): A vessel carrying 20 Cuban migrants arrived on Cayman Brac about 10:45am on Sunday, which followed two boats that arrived on Saturday, each carrying nine people. According to a release from the Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control Service (CBC), twelve people disembarked and said they would not continue the journey. Eight of the migrants remained on board.
Cayman Islands Government policy is to take into custody any migrants that come ashore and begin the process of repatriation. Those who want to continue must do so without assistance from officials and without disembarking.
The boat remained moored off the Scotts Dock overnight and left the Brac at around 7:45 this morning. Officials said the twelve people who disembarked are being processed “in accordance with CBC’s established protocols” and COVID rules. That brings the total of migrants taken into custody on the Brac this weekend to 30.
After a recent spike in Cuban migrants passing through local waters since the start of this year, there are now 147 people in CBC care awaiting deportation or asylum claims. Fears of a repeat of historic mass migrations from Cuba has led to border control rolling out a Mass Migration Contingency Plan, the details of which have still not been revealed.
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Category: Local News
In November 2021, Nicaragua dropped its VISA requirement for Cuban Nationals. Cubans are trying to get first to Jamaica, and from there, many have in the past successfully flown to Nicaragua, and nearly “home free” from there, up to the USA border. >150,000 are expected to go via Nicaragua this year, per article in NYT. It’s possible that some believe CAL will fly them there. It also sounds like CAL has flown some Cuban ticket holders from Havana and then on to Jamaica, where they’d hopped onto continuing service to Managua. This is why a recent CAL flight was stuck in Havana for 48hrs. Should we interfere with someone boarding a flight when they have acceptable ID, clear Covid test, a fully paid ticket in their name, and an onward itinerary? Tough luck for Migual Diaz-Canal and also for very busy USA border agents.
I do feel for them. The situation in Cuba is getting bad and they’re desperate. I’m sure Russia’s war hasn’t helped either as Russia and Cuba are allies and sanctions indirectly affect them as well. I hope everything works out for them!
The whole world is in chaos. Cuba is no exception. Stay at home and sort out your problems and stop sailing away to these islands in the hope for a better life. Where are we going to sail to?