Cubans opt to come ashore
(CNS): After well over a year without a single vessel containing Cuban migrants being reported in Cayman waters, the second boat in just over a month was intercepted off the north coast of Grand Cayman today. Department of Immigration officials reported that a Cuban vessel carrying 21 people was spotted by a joint immigration, customs, RCIPS marine unit at around 3pm Thursday afternoon. Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Enforcement Gary Wong said that a couple from the craft decided to come ashore. Police confirmed that the vessel was seaworthy. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
Meanwhile, the other 19 refugees, including one female, indicated their intention to continue on their journey to Honduras in the boat.
The couple who opted to come ashore were brought to the George Town Barcadere
, sources revealed. The husband and wife, both aged 28, are now in custody and being processed by immigration officials before being deported back to Cuba.
The vessel, which has continued on its journey, was originally spotted yesterday off the coast of Cayman Brac and is the second boat after some 14 months to be intercepted.
The last vessel stopped by officials was carrying 16 migrants in a 21 foot vessel (pictured right) and those aboard opted to carrying on their journey without assistance from local officials under the terms of the MOU Cayman has with the Cuban Government.
Category: Headline News
Touching documentary.Please let’s helppppp.Is only waterrrr,some of our own food and some of our own diesel.
Let us help them.If Cuba let them out why should we stop them???If the sistem wasen’t good to stop them,don’t you think any of them could go back or any one could go in???Think and save our moneyyyy.You are right many people here need it more,let’s save it for them.
What use we get from stoping them and keeping them and sending them back to CUba,next month they will be here,they already lost it all when they left the first time.They only thing they have left is the hopes to get to america to be able to get some thing back again and to help the ones left behind.
No man should be denied their right to freedom,even if some one think they are wrong.All depends from the cristal that you are looking from.Blessings to all the brave man and women that risk it all to reach their dreams.Blessings to all the ones that helps them.
Why don’t you that say that cubans can survive on the montly food allowance giving to them…Why don’t you please go there and try that for a month,with no dollarsssss.
See if you won’t be reaching Cayman in a tube or with them in one of them that they come here…
You’ll be one of them asking water too.Hopfully you never have to.
Leave you car here and don’t rent one not even a bike to see the poor man suffering to carry you to see the city.
Maybe that man din’t have tany lunch or not even breakfast.
Try and ride a bus to go to work or after work to see how you can manage in the beutifull city,maybe you won’t have time to even look at the city,you’ll probable be too busy trying to hold on to the door handle and not fall for the next few stops until some one gets off and then maybe you can step inside.
The reason why most peoples survive or live better, is because of those brave ones that comes here looking for help to reach USA.
Pleaseeeee stop the talk and help our goverment not to spend any more money stoping them brave man and women and even children’s so they can reach where they want to go.
Denying water is not a good thing to do…
We will get more cubans here if we help them but harm can a botlle of water do to us,is all they want from us.
Do the math please.Cuba has no expense with them.
Helping them is better than taking on an expense that goverment can not afford.Simple as that.
If Cuba so good,do your research to see who’s son and daughter left Cuba tooooo.
Thanks and may God bless all the ones that makes a difference to help others.
17:02 Dont you know if you give a Cuban some money or Jewellery to buy food, they are notgoing to buy food. They will buy a cell phone Nike Shoes or expensive clothes and eat bread and drink black coffee. There are people in Cayman who know alot about what go on in Cuba.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv3mWhyOg4s
I will circulate this to all my friends to see…
Evidence 10:38. I watched the video. The Law is the law on shore, but many persons who make negative comments do not know what happened after they left on their slow journey. Well they were guided out of Cayman waters safely. They were given food snacks, coffee, water, T, Sirts, flashlights and other little things of necessity. I am not going to say who helped them, buy it was Caymanians.
Do you all know that most of those cubans may have been to jail.Yesss but do you know that most of them would have been there just because they were choosed to serve in the military service.If any man that is age 17 and older is call and for any reason they have any kind of problem in the 3 years that they have to serve the REVOLUTION.They would then be giving time in jail.That is one of the reason most of them have a record of being in jail.If not you try to keep one of the young man here in that kind of sistem and just see what would happenen and how many will be put in jail.Is some thing that most families in Cuba suffers,because most of those young kids,like any other kid will some time miss going in on time and they miss the date and that can cause them to go to jail.
Maybe we should try to send some of the ones talking about how good Cuba is there to go to the military service and spend some time in jail.Because it will happenen and then maybe you will be riding a tube around Cuba asking them for help thinking you go to Cayman,The diference would be that there they that have nothing or very little will give you their share.
Think more before you talk,is sooo many things that don’t know and maybe asking so much for it you will be surpriseddddd.
22;33 you dont know what you are talking about. What you are saying is not true. 75 percent of Cubans in prison is there for stealing and robbing.
ShaMEEEE ON YOU THAT say that Cuba is the way you say.
Do you know that every child at the age of 11 that enters the schools for FREEEE,while you kids are here watching tvafter one half day at school,there the same age kids are working at the field cutting grass,cleaning up the trees,picking fruits for a hole afternoon and then back to school to go to classes and stay there repeating the same routine for the entire week.Yes is FREEEEE FOR YOU THAT ARE HERE or maybe visiting there and seing the nice side of the city.Beutifull city and beutifull peoplesss.
What they suffer for them to get on aboat and leave that CITY.,you don’t know better give them water and maybe some of your own food becuase you never know if some day you may have to ask for help.
Life is short and they don;t want to come here to live they just want for people like you or me to show them a bit of love and care and even why not wish them good luck when they stop here to get some help and still don’t know where /when and if they will reach their next destination.
Please God will then in return maybe help our beutifull islands survive and be in peace,for non of us to ever have to run,like they have to.
Blessings to them and to all that helps them.
And pleaseeee do some research and you will see that even the big shot mannnn children’s have runnnn,left Cuba if not by boat by plain.Not all that leave is bad they are mostly very brave people,the same as maybe your ancestors looking a better life.That is why maybe you are here today.
Good luck to all of them that continue to oppen the door for the rest of the world.
21:43 What you are talking about, used to take place in Cuba 30 years ago. It does not!! take place now. No children are asked to cut sugar cane, pick fruits and then go back to school in the afternoon. You have been out of Cuba too long, or either you dont know what exactly in happening in Cuba. Stop trying to make the people believe that Cubans are suffering, because that is not so. Making a good salary is a problem yes, but so what, it is the same here. They get every thing there free. We pay for it here. That is the difference. People escaping is doing so because they want to. They want to get tu USA to buy fine clothes and call Cuba to tell their friends that they have it so good, when it is not so. They are loitering in parking lots, begging for money, saying they want to go back to Cuba, male & female pro. selling drugs, stealing all just to be out of Cuba. Half of the Cubans who escape do not want to work abroad either. They want easy money any way they can get it. You are hearing this from someone who know what they do. Tracker.
So very trueeeee.All that this person is saying is true.Cubans that come here have the cojon…to put their life in the line to do what maybe your family did when they came to Cayman.Look for a beeter place to live,feed and raise their family.For brave people like them is why most of us are here and every where today.We are all in some way inmigrantsssss.Yesss INMIGRANTSSSS.Like or not some how some one got here first ..and there…to America and to…you name it… and every where..in this world.We din’t all come from one place.Some one open the door for all of us.
The diference is that any where in this world any INMIGRANT or any one seeking freedom,water,food and diesel are not denied that…Never the less no one would send a boat of human beings asking for HELP SOS…
To the other side with out evengiving them a glass of water.
Please stop the lessons about how Cubans live ,only cubans know how they live.If not they will be the same as all of us staying home and watching tv,like maybe you are now doing.After only yesterday you and others like you just send away with no water or no food a boat full of them same cubans to reach some place they never know if they would reach or maybe to die hungry and thirsty while you eat,drink and sleep.
Treat your N….like you would….
Life has a way of …what goes around come around.
Good luck to all of us and bless the ones that wants to help.
Not them to stay,but yes to give them food.That would not cost the goverment even 1cent.
Thankssss
Some of the posters must be new to Cayman or have forgot about the 1400 cubans that landed in Cayman in 1994. They cost the Government $6m and no end of trouble including riots and street demostrations.
Remember what started that exodus? The good Cayman people giving Cuban rafters food, water, fuel and what ever else they needed.
What do you think will happened when the next exodus happens- where is the Goverment going to get $6m from now? You!!!
The Government’s policy is clear -do not support illegal immigration, offer the migrants a change to apply for asylum and if they don’t qualify send them home. What’s wrong with that?
Some of these people who opt to stay in Cayman are not true refugees but what the Americans call “coyotes” ,people smugglers.They return to Cuba and some months later show up with another load of refugees.Talk to someone in immigration and they will confirm this ;if they are allowed to.
Any members of the UDP that are current MLA’s that would stand up and say enough of this and even give up their porfolio in my opinion would more stand a chance of being re-elected at the next election. I would for one be very proud of that person or persons. We shall see !
I hope you all know that the couple that opted to come ashore and now being sent back to Cuba will be jailed and all rights (of what little they have in Cuba) will be taken away from them. The CIG deporting them back to Cuba is just the beginning of their nightmare which will be a lot worse when they arrive back in Cuba.
08:13 Your comments are not entirely true. The Cubans that are sent back to cuba are only held in detention for three days unless they were under a bond, waiting for court or did not complete their sentence and was out on good behavior bond. If they escaped Cuba and were sent back they would have to spend the time in prison. Same thing is done here. They are only kept in prison for three days to check them out, blood tests, where they came from, if they were working etc. If they were working, they would be loosing their job once they escaped and was returned. Same thing is done here.
If they loose what little they had in Cuba is because when they are planning to escape, they will sell bed, refrigerator, stove and anything that moves to get money to go. That is their fault.
Cubans are not mistreated when they are sent back. They will have to seek another job of course, and believe they can get back their old job, BUT they will need to pay money under the table to somebody; but who will take the few dollars they are given abroad and do that to make 9 dollars a month salary.
If anyone want to help the Cubans here to be sent back. What you can do is to go to the prison and leave some money there for them. Inform them of that and the Guards will give them the money when they are leaving.. This will give them a good jumpstart when they go back, and the Cuban Government will not take it away from them. After all that is what the Government want, Money to be spent in the country. It would be difficult for Cayman to keep the Cubans, because if you live on this Island, you can see how difficult it is to get a job.
So….we should establisha "Bribery Fund for Cuban Officials" and give it in ca$h to Prison guards?
09:19 For Goods sake please hush making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Anonymous @ 8:13 please stop listening to stupid anti -Cuban propoganda and get your facts straight.Thank You
Sad to see Cayman Has gone to this at the rate we are going one day too we will have to run and Leave our courtry as we are going the road like Jamaica because of the Current Government. SAD SAD
The first boat that came arrived in Honduras in the coast of a town called Esparta. one of the tripulantes drowned just as they were about to touch the iron shore. The rest incorporated into the community and are doing well.
I wonder what will happen to these refugees once our human rights bill becomes effective in the latter part of this year.
May God have mercy on all of us.
Maybe they will eventually be treated like humans rather than animals?
Some Christian nation.
They’ll probably be treated to British standards for dealing with (economic) refugees … oh, wait, thats what happens now. Perhaps you’d like to clarify what you think we and the rest of the world should do in these situations?
Maybe we can give them food, water and some medical assistance? Would that not be Christian behaviour?
Yes, sorry, reply 09:47 was intended to ‘human rights’ 22:12, not (directly) to ‘Christian nation’ 07:10
don’t worry about god, he always gives us exactly what we deserve.
He’s consistent in that.
If some people have a million dollars… they are given residency in a Christian nation. Others are sent on their way into the ocean. Those are the rules we have. But what would Jesus do?
Drealock Holmes, it is my humble opinion that he would be both mad and sad. I can picture Him saying : ” HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED ANYTHING YET ?, He who has all the riches may think he has everything but yet he has nothing, for he cannot take it with him but he who has nothing but Love for God. Faith. Loves Mercy and has Compassion has everything and shall enter the Gates of Heaven and be with my Father”l
Kudos to those who helped at sea. God Bless
That last boat that came to Cayman and left to Honduras was given health food drinks, water, snacks and gas. They were not sent away hungry or without Gas. However I am not going to tell you who gave it to them. Una talk too much.
I sincerely hope that is true that food, water and fuel wasd giv en to these boat people. “the least of my brethern…..” need more be said?
07:07 Yes I am very sure, I am talking what I know. But like I said, I am not going to disclose the sourse. Just rest assured that any Cuban who enters our waters and decide they wantto continue, are given water Gas and food, and some are even given flashlights, batteries, mixed coffee, bread tee shirts, jackets and short pants.. So please do not say these things about they are sent away without a little help. They are being helped, and its by Caymanians too. Thats all we are going to say..
One of the Cubans drowned in Honduras a few days after it left here, It was published in a Honduran newspaper,God bless his soul.
I thought Ms Linda said they could apply for political asylum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgjiwkxY75U
Sorry to hear of the lost life from the vessel just a few weeks back. A tragedy that was avoidable. A degree of humantiarianism is required in Cayman, by the officials that handle these people.
How can that small boat possibly be considered seaworthy with 21 people on it? According to Port Authority they would also need the following safety equipment in order to be seaworthy!
Size of vessel 8`- 20` 20`- 40`
Buoyant vest One for each person
Oars or paddles yes N/A N/A
Life buoy/ Ring N/A One
Bailer or manual bilge pump Either Either
Anchor and rope 50` 75`
Sound signaling device N/A Yes
Hand Held Flares One Three
Pocket Mirror Yes Yes
Waterproof Flash light
Or one Hand Held Flare
And two Parachute Flares Light Either
Parachute Flares N/A Two
Orange Smoke Signal N/A N/A
And Don’t forget the fire extinguisher!
Yep they declared it seaworthy….remember now Cayman only has 15 known criminals who are being watched carefully, Cayman doesn’t have any gangs, Cayman didn’t have a Category 5 Hurricane, the doesn’t list is endless. I don’t think the police can declare anything correctly.
Do I need to stay more?
Hope the others that continued were at least giving water and some thing to eat or drink.
The the last group,that stoped here asking water…one of them lost their life just before the boat reached Honduras.
Very sad but the last sip of water or some thing to eat or drink that that human being would have had in life and wasen’t giving to him ,was denied here in Cayman.
The last place where they all stoped in hopes to get some help…
Let’s do some thing to help,not only them,but also all of them asking for help.
Once the cubans stop here they are put in jail and then sent back to Cuba.
The rest that decides not to stop,are taking a serious risk and we don’t know if that stop is the last chance for us to give them the last taste of water.
The goverment will loss more stoping them here ,housing,feeding and taking them back ,than allowing the general human public to just give them what they come here asking for only.Water,food and diesel.Some only water,Pleaseee.
I am not sure how man of us know about the Cuban Refugees that stop by or pass by or shores. 95% of these Cubans have been in prison, almost each one have a criminal record, men and women. 95% of these Cubans do not want to work in Cuba, and because they do not want to work, they have to stay at home and sell littles items from home or take a chance running the street selling stolen objectsl Cubans men are not allowed to strut the streets and loiter the way it is done here. The policewill stop you, ask you for your ID Number and where you are working. If you dont have a job they will take you to prison.
We do feel much sympathy for the Cubans, but they are different that we know. In Cuba, they are well behaved, seldom quarrel or fight, very helpful and caring to each other and to foreign tourist. Have their share of crimes like anywhere else, but we are not allowed to hear those problems in foreign.
You will never see them organize a peaceful march or any other in Cuba, But they will definately come to Cayman and do just that. They are advance in technology, they have the latest clothes, shoes laptops, and cel phones. Dont be foolded, because there are people in Cayman who is suffering just as much as any Cuban. Cubans greatest problem is food, clothing and a good salary. The Government pay a salary of between, lowest 9.00 to 100.00 per month. In Cuba, the people have free medical, free schooling, free college & University, and they are given aboolket to collect food every month foreach house hold member, such rice, beans sugar, eggs, bread every day and other articles. Most times when they leave Cuba and get status in another country, it becomes hard for them to cope. Because they are not accostomed to paying rent, paying for school or hospital etc. That poses a problem for them to ajust to. They will expect the government to give them everything free, although when they can pass over this hurdle they are hard workers. Not all ou read about them being under depression is true. Visit there and see for yourself. Cuba International Airport looks and operates better than the one in Cayman. It looks just as good as Miami., and Havana is much more beautiful and interesting than Cayman. Cuba is not poor, so do not fool yourself. Spending a week or weekend tell you very little about Cuba. Yet I would say it is one of the best run governments in the world. Trust me.
If Cuba is such a great place to live then why don’t you live there. If freedom is such a fleeting and unworthy concept to you then get on a small boat and go over there. The misconceptions are rife, that is true, but if you or anyone else wishes to laud the society that ordinary Cubans live in then please go there and stay there. A visitor to Cuba can romanticize all they want but they are not a citizen who has a different strata of human rights rather than a mollycoddled tourist/investor. To try to make this socialist regime worthy of acceptance is ludicrous at best, free health care or not.. Castro had good reason to revolt against the rape and abuse of Cuba at the hands of the tinpot dictator Mr. Batista, and he would not have succeeded except for the support of the peasants in the Sierra Maestras mountains, but he has left the country, arguabley, worse off than the bloody Batista regime and his mafioso counterparts and sugar barons etc.. Out of the frying pan and into the fire might be a good comparison. Despite the hypocrisy and ineffective results of American foreign policy regarding Cuba and the dis-service to the Cuban people the embargo has produced in real terms, do not for a moment believe that it is prudent to glorify the Castro regime. You say that Cuban people do not have peaceful demonstrations, such ignorance is not surprising judging by the content of your literature in this forum. The fact of the matter is they do, and those who do have the intestinal fortitude you and I would both benefit from as there is a harsh price to be paid for such courage in the Castro regime. He became the very same beast which he vanquished. The Cuban people: good, bad and ugly are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Castro and his elite eat lobster and other such niceties while the people regularly suffer. This is how communism/socialism as a true life scenario shows itself to be a lie and unjust simply by human nature and egocentricism not allowing the concept to ever bear fruit. It is with great trepidation that one with their eyes open cannot help but realize the trend our current government is heading and the similarities to the history of Cuba. Democracy in practice, not name, including all of it’s failings in anything other than Utopia, has proven itself to be the best form of governance we humans have, bar none. As a young man my father saw a converted small motorboat with a broken jury rigged mast with one survivor out of fifteen land on the shore at Breakers, he had had to throw his wife and five children overboard after they had perished along with the others. This level of desperation to the point of sun stroke excacerbated lunacy proves unequivocabely the empty promise of this idealogy. Go live as a Cuban citizen if you wish but for the love of God, do not think that glorifying it in the Cayman Islands this is acceptable, we here have seen the effects of such a system. By the way, can you please take our distinguished premier with you when you go, I will give you the boat. May God bless the Cuban people and may the Cayman Islands and her people escape the hell on earth which has befallen our neighbours to the North. Cuban boat people would not have to disembark their own very beautiful and naturally abundant country if it were not for those (locals and foreignors both) who have abused and destroyed such a verdant pearl in the middle of the cobalt Caribbean Sea all in the name of greed and the soulless striving for all encompassing, despotic power.
"…….I would say it is one of the best run governments in the world. Trust me."
You expect us to trust you? You must either be (1) a communist Castro supporter. (2) a sick joker or (3) a fool. I won’t even take the time to combat this crazy post by another "anonymous" writer. I am still baffled by your comments in regards to Cuba.