Cayman’s four Law Enforcement Agencies pulled together this weekend to help save the lives of 37 Cuban nationals who arrived on Cayman Brac Saturday aboard a leaking vessel filled with sick and injured people travelling without aid of life jackets.
Hands on deck included Her Majesty’s Prison Service, HM Customs, Department of Immigration Enforcement Officers and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service on Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman.
The deteriorating vessel carrying the 27 males and 10 females was first spotted on 20 June, 2015, off Cayman Brac. On further investigation it was determined that the Cubans had plans to travel to Honduras, but had insufficient fuel and oil for the journey, the rudder of the vessel was bent and in need of repair and the vessel was significantly leaking.
By the time officers from Grand Cayman had arrived on Cayman Brac, the Cubans had removed most of their belongings from the vessel, placing them on the ground while attempting to make repairs.
After it was determined that the vessel was not seaworthy, Immigration Enforcement Officers took the lead in speaking with the Cubans and it was determined they would not be permitted to continue their journey based on the condition of the vessel, lack of fuel and life jackets and that the Cubans would have to be detained by Immigration pending repatriation.
The Cubans were transported in two tranches from Panama Canal to the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport on Cayman Brac. The initial transport was carried out on Cayman Airways’ 30-seat aircraft, which had 10 female and five male migrants travelling from Cayman Brac to Grand Cayman. The remaining 22 males were transported in a second wave in the same process using CAL jet service.
All 37 migrants were transported to Grand Cayman before 4 a.m. Sunday and are being processed for repatriation.
“The overall operation was successful with no injuries to either the migrants or the officials and there is no doubt this operation saved the lives of these migrants,” said Home Affairs Ministry Chief Office Eric Bush.
This latest wave of Cubans brings the current migrant census at IDC to 63.
Prior to the10 June, 2015, rescue at sea of 18 Cuban migrants near Little Cayman, the Immigration Detention Centre had officially been closed with the last three Cuban migrants repatriated on 15 May, 2015.
In April officials from the Cayman Islands and Cuba signed a new memorandum of understanding to help speed up the process of repatriating Cuban migrants who land in Cayman illegally. The MoU will be reviewed annually.
In 2014 the Cayman Islands Government spent $1.6 million on the detention, housing and repatriation of Cuban migrants who arrived here illegally.