Cubans repatriated after three months in Cayman

| 20/02/2012

wave 1750 (250x300).jpg(CNS): The Cayman Islands government returned sixteen Cuban refugees last week who were forced toland on Cayman Brac back in November because of problems with their vessel. Two men, however, remain on the run. Fernando Figueredo and Rafael Hildalgo, escaped the Detention Centre on 21 January and are still being sought,officials stated. The 15 men and one woman were all repatriated, despite their claims for political asylum in the Cayman Islands, all of which were reviewed and refused. According to officials, the refugees all signed letters stating that they wished to be repatriated. One of the men also stated that he would be getting on the next boat leaving Cuba as soon as he could.

In a release from GIS, the Cubans reportedly stated that they had been treated well during their stay in Cayman by government, individuals and the wider community but gave a “thumbs-down” to having to return.

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“I’m happy to be going back to see my family, but I will get on the next boat leaving Cuba but not stopping in Cayman Islands,” one refugee reportedly told GIS.

Acting Assistant Chief Immigration Officer Joey Scott led a team of 17 officers in what was the first repatriation handled entirely by immigration and the second in two years.

Gary Wong, head of the immigration’s enforcement arm, said that the goal was to carry out the process in a safe and effective manner.

Anyone with information regarding the two missing refugees is asked to call 526-0418, 526-0433 or 526-0488, or risk facing prosecution.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Cubans are humble people. I had the opportunity to interact with these young men and one woman while they were here.  Believe you me the stories they told me about what is happening in Cuba brought tears to my eyes.  They are looking for freedom and a betteer way to survive for their families.  These guys are well educated and have a profession but no work. They are not criminals.  We need to continue to pray for the Cuban people that there will be freedom for all one day.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Who is that sexy police officer?!!

  3. Anonymous says:

    Thank you 15.54. Thats why you only see more men than women. They are not looking for freedom but money money and more than likely illegal means in the US. These persons have ways of getting there through proper applications but can not be approved because more than likely they have criminal records. 

    These people have the mentality that the whole world owes them something for being from Cuba and that they are so depraved and have such a terrible life. A Cuban can leave Cuba whenever they feel like , all they must have is a clean police record and do it the proper way and follow Cuban and international laws.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes they can leave when they feel like, Some cubans dont have the money to do the whole process of the paper work. You would have to understand the whole cuban currency first. My father had to send $ for my cousin to do his paper work. Cuba may not have a BK, Wendy's etc but guess what, they sure as hell dont have all the stress, problems, and pile of S**t that cayman has. They have free medical and Education. There is not 1 person I know in cuba that does not have a good education. Except people from donkey years ago that probably didnt go to school beause they had to help their family with the farming and so on. Yes I have family there that has left Legally to the US and they want to go back because they see that US/Cayman isnt all what they expected it to be. And who are you to say they have criminal records? You work with police in cuba or immaigration awa? If they did trust me, cuban police is not as slack as the ones here. And who are you to judge them? saying they want illegal means in the US, you a mind reader now? And who told you they have a TERRIBLE life? Their life might not be like yours but it surely na terrible. You dont see young boys smokin ganja or with these nasty pissy boy attitudes they have here. Yes they may leave because they want money, did you ask what they want money for? Im sure if you sent them at least 200$ a month you wouldnt see them on a raft coming to cayman/going Us or wherever.

      Ask or learn about the people before you say something. And yes, thats whats wrong with most of Cayman, They like to talk a lot of S**t and dont know crap.

       *bbm not interested face*

      • Anonymous says:

        If life is swell in Cuba why are the boats going toward cuba instead of the other direction. Even the haitians aren't heading for Cuba.

        • Anonymous says:

          Your not making sense sweetie. You just said If life is swell "why are the boats going towards cuba??"Maybe life is swell and they are going back to cuba *sarcastic face?roll eyes"

  4. Slowpoke says:

    Oxymoron = "…the refugees all signed letters stating that they wished to be repatriated. One of the men also stated that he would be getting on the next boat leaving Cuba as soon as he could."

  5. Anon says:

    If they claimed asylum they didn't want to be repatriated. What is the point of such a letter when the contents are clearly a lie? Kind of like getting a signed confession from a long-termer at Guantanamo Bay. "Way to go" Immigration Dept. – you show those bad Cubans what we're made of! Sheesh!  

    • Stale News says:

      What the Government don't know here is that 95% of these Cuban refugees are all ex-convicts, who has been let out of prison.  Some on remand, some on time out.  The Government of Cuba do not care about them leaving, because the less they will have to feed, and the less to make problems.

      I do not know who fool Caymanians or anyone else to think that Cubans are suffeing.  Ther wear the latest clothes, designer, shoes too, and they all have cell phones.  Good one too.  But it is just that a Cuban will always want to have his cake and eat it too.  They want to have the Demopcratic way of life but do not want it for Cuba.

      Cubans are very humble in Cuba, but as soon as they leave they change.   They are users and do not care about anyone but themselves.  It is about time the men in Cayman, and elswhere stop spending their money foolishly.  ITS NOT WORTH THE TRIP TRUST ME.

      • Anonymous says:

        One of the Cubans told my father that he wished that he had never left Cuba.  He said that his wife convinced him to leave. The younger ones think that America has plenty money and that it would be so easy for them to get rich.  He said that they stole the fishermen boats to escape"  I won't say what else he said but believe me it wasn't good.

      • Anonymous says:

        Just hope that you find peace in your soul sometime in the near future and God helps you to forgive and forget what happened to you (seems that a Cuban or Cubans were involved) There are 11 000 000 cubans, you met a few, give a chance to the rest of them to change your mind.Mywife is cuban, my son is cuban,my mother, my brother and most of my friends are, believe you me, we are good people. probably someone you know had received my services on the past and all of them are happy so far.

        god bless you

      • WREX says:

        You must be out of your mind.  If it is so good why don't you go live over there and try selling yourself or renting your daughter for $50 a night so you can afford to "wear the latest clothes, designer, shoes too, and they all have cell phones" trying sound like you don't have a cell phone too…

        I don't see anybody building rafts and going to Cuba…