Cubans Come & Go

Immigration officials note that while occasional visits from boats carrying Cuban migrants (usually bound for the United States via Central America) are customary, they are unsure if the Cuban government’s decision to relax travel restrictions will have any impact on the maritime migrants.

Such vessels usually stop in the Cayman Islands, which are due south of Cuba, if there is inclement weather, or if they are experiencing any mechanical, health or safety issues. On January 10, 2013, a group of 25 Cuban migrants was the latest batch to be repatriated to Cuba. They had arrived in Cayman waters in early November, 2012.

The most recent arrivals constituted 16 boaters (12 males and 4 females) who came on Saturday morning (January 19, 2013).  These brought to 21 the number of Cubans being held at the Immigration Detention Centre.

Migrants are held at the centre while they undergo processing by the Immigration Department. The outcome of this processing is that they will either be allowed to remain in the Cayman Islands or repatriated to Cuba.

While there were two incidents of migrants leaving the Detention Centre within the last year, the private company that manages security has worked with the Department to prevent future escapes.