Nineteen migrants land on Cayman Brac Thursday
Cuban vessel Thursday morning with seven on board (photo courtesy of the CBC) 
Cuban vessel Thursday morning with seven on board (photo courtesy of the CBC) 
Cuban vessel Thursday afternoon with 12 on board (photo courtesy of the CBC) 
Cuban vessel Thursday afternoon with 12 on board (photo courtesy of the CBC)
(CNS): A second Cuban vessel landed on Cayman Brac Thursday afternoon with nine men and three women on board, a few hours after a boat with six men and one woman arrived, bringing the total yesterday to 19. The Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control Service (CBC) said that the twelve migrants were spotted at around 3:45pm and the people aboard have since disembarked.
They are now being processed in accordance with established protocols, the CBC said, but did not report on the health of the migrants.
They bring the number of Cubans now being held by CBC to 182. Yesterday officials revealed that the Immigration Detention Centre is full and 23 of the Cubans who had arrived in Cayman since the start of this year are now being housed at the Elliott Conolly Civic Centre in Gun Bay, East End, while asylum claims or deportation orders are processed.
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Category: Local News
Why don’t the ‘coast Guard” stop them before they land??? If they detain them in Cayman water before they reach land they can immediately send them back as they would not have “landed” to then seek asylum ?!?!?!?
That’s why the US can carry back Cuban and Haitians and all other nationalities they find on the seas trying to illegally land …
I believe the US uses their own boats.
Ahhhh the wonderful free healthcare and education… Thankfully Chris Saunders is tripping and falling over himself to bring this luxury here in Cayman. Forced Cinico for everyone.
Thanks a lot Joe Biden!
Joe “WHO”?
Um…. you need a hobby.
Coast Guard takes 86 migrants back to Cuba. They were stopped off the Florida Keys
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article261418992.html#storylink=cpy
If only we had a coastguard…
It is international law to take refugees. Whether they are economic refugees or war refugees. Cayman needs a plan in place to process these people. We don’t have the facilities for such an influx so maybe in the future we could make a deal with the US to take some of those who come here. But for those of you saying to “send them back”, most of the time it is Cuba that delays that process, and like I said, we have an obligation to take in refugees and they have an international right to seek asylum.
Who says we have an obligation to take in refugees? What is Cuba’s position on their people fleeing to other countries un-asked? What is Cuba doing to help Cubans?
Cuba is a beautiful country…. Why don’t Caymanians go to Cuba?
There is literally an MOU, signed several years ago, that dictates what Cayman must do, including the human rights implications.
And if I recall, there was a time when we weren’t allowed to do anything to assist, then came public uproar as we were just sending Cubans Migrants on their way with no additional food or water on their unseaworthy rafts (to possibly die) as they ventured to Central America.
Can’t please all the people all the time…but what’s worse than being seen as a country who doesn’t help refugees?
Don’t think it has anything to do with CINICO or Chris Saunders by the way.
I disagree……….. but I guess what I think doesn’t matter.
Don’t we have a coast guard now? Aren’t they supposed to protect our borders? C’mon Mr. Panton don’t act like Brandon from the USA and keep allowing illegals to enter. Caymanians need permission to come and go and some even have to quarantine despite testing negative. Yes. I’m pissed.
These migrants pose much less risk to the average person than millionaires
What do you want the Coast Guard to do? Fire upon piece-of-crap boats from Cuba? Have a heart.
You go ahead and be “pissed” and wonder what is different between you and the Cubans. I will tell you. 300 miles.
“Brandon” indicates that you are likely an American. Welcome. All expats are necessary and welcome here. What you may not understand or respect is the relationship between Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
There but for the grace of God goes many of us. I will ALWAYS provide: food, water, fuel and care for anyone who has none.
I want you to consider for a moment, just how horrible your life would have to be for you to load yourself into a POS boat and try to make it 10 miles on the open ocean for the hope of a better life. Now, try to imagine the level of strife it would take for you to load yourself, your wife, your children, your parents and your extended family all in a boat which was much too small for all of you and which had no shelter from the sun. Imagine that you had water crackers and some water and not much else and you are hoping to travel 600 miles on the open ocean and somehow survive and make landfall.
Imagine how screwed up and dangerous your life would have to be to make those decisions.
Are you still “pissed”?
Cayman can’t avoid economic crisis the world is slipping into. Caymanians will get the taste of it. Monthly extra 35KYD won’t be enough to keep people from starvation. Plan accordingly. May be it is time to abandon fancy embroidered stuff CIG seem to love?
Sure. The $35 is an insult. We should be providing for all our citizens first, well before any others. Still, the Cubans are going to come, and some of them will pause in our waters and continue on, and some will have had enough and make landfall and have to be repatriated.
I find it difficult to tolerate the hard-hearted among us who would like to sink the boats before they get to our shores. Yes, I have actually heard this filth coming out of peoples mouths.
Agree with you that the Cayman Islands cannot afford to assimilate all the refugees, however we can collectively have a shred of decency and humanity.
I wonder how Poland can afford to “assimilate” 3M Ukrainian refugees? They are paying monthly benefits to each one if they apply. The money aren’t coming from donations by the way.
Spoken like a bleeding heart liberal that is always willing to spend other people’s money to help others but not their own. These Cubans make a choice to leave their home. I make a choice to protect my country. The reference to Branden is the fact that we cannot curse on this platform.
Are you willing to give up your home and let these voluntary refugees stay in your home while you camp for a few days, weeks or months? While you are at it, you continue paying all your bills and feed them too. Plus, stand guard outside so they don’t leave their temporary domicile.
CNS: The reference to Brandon slipped past me. It’s usually deleted. You can’t curse in code, either.
Hope they all presented their day prior certified negative Covid test before they were allowed to land. Oh, and their vaccination certificates and permission from Travel Cayman as well of course.
I would guess that they would consider themselves among the elite if they even had the opportunity to “present their day prior certified negative Covid test.”
Really? Are you willing to just flush these people? Really? Have a care for people far less fortunate than yourself.
Rules must apply to all or not at all. It’s pretty simple really.
Agree that rules must apply to all. I think you would probably agree that those who have no ability to apply to Travel Time are well outside of the system for which the rules are made and enforced.
Put another way, I hope you never have an unexpected occurrence shift your world violently sideways and you find yourself needing help, Friendo. I really do.
I do not agree. Again, rules must apply equally to all, or not at all.
COVID is a history. ACCEPT THAT!