Immigration holds 19 Cubans after boat runs aground
(CNS): The Cayman Islands authorities have confirmed that they are holding 19 Cuban migrants on Cayman Brac after their boat reportedly ran aground off the Sister Island yesterday evening. Government officials said that the migrants are being temporarily housed under immigration control, and several other government as well as private sector agencies are helping meet their immediate needs. A spokesperson from government said that the group was expected to be transferred to Grand Cayman early next week for processing.
No information was given regarding the sex or age of the latest group of refugees from Cayman’s northern neighbour. Although Cuban boat people have frequently landed on the Cayman Islands in the past, the migration via Cayman had stopped throughout 2010 but this is now the fifth vessel that has passed through local waters this year.
Cayman policy dictates that Cuban migrants cannot be assisted by the Cayman Islands if they wish to continue with their journey. If they request help, even food, water and fuel, they are taken into custody and eventually repatriated to Cuba. If the migrants choose not to be deported they must leave Cayman waters unassisted. In circumstances such as these, if the boat is not seaworthy the refugees face enforced repatriation unless they claim political asylum.
Category: Local News
DEar people of Cayman
please help these people they dont one to stay in your lovely country
My brother is that gorup of cubans his pain its been huge beacuse left a son and a wife trying to reach a country where he can work and rise a family ,,, this is not posible to do in cuba
allow them to sail and give them some food a water and they will always be garteful for that
Help these people
CUBA ties Cayman hands,with the signing of the memorandum,forcing our country not to assist any cuban that comes to our shores.
They allow them to leave the country knowing that they can lose their lives.Those peoples are against the goverment.Whith the tight security that Cuba has,no one would be able to get or out Cuba if they don'twant,if not any one trie that.
They simply don't care if those disidents,as they call them leaves,less stress for them,but they make sure that the next country that they would be able to reach ,do not give them any help.
That next country is the one that would be blamed for not assisting them.WHo is to blame then?No else but us,our always loving caring peoples of Cayman.Just not fear.
If Cuba wanted them to stay or even wanted them back,why don't Cuba then pay the expenses to keep them here and send their own plane to take them home or pay Cayman airways for that.
Whith all the money that our goverment needs why put such a burden on our shoulders,when we the people of Cayman would all be more than happy to give them poor peoples asking help,water,food,diesel,fix their boats,even give them some old chothes to cover from the sun and even as good samaritans would do give them our blessings as they depart in an unkown journey that may even be their last?
While all of of this is happening in our country what most peoples don't know is that CUba is doing exctly the opposite that they have us doing here.CUba assists all iligal inmigrants that reaches Cuba in hopes to reach the USA.
CUba problably don't even remember that they signed a memorandum with Cayman.
Pleaseee,Cayman assist them in any way possible.
They don't have to stop them from leaving,what for with that memorandum,they have Cayman hands tied.
Ultimatly they don't care about them peoples,they want them out of Cuba for good and that memorandum really has helped ,sending lots of them out to sea thirsthy,hungry and sick to die.
YOU ALL NEED TO KNOW THIS:While Cayman hands are tied by this memorandum that our goverment signed with CUba,that do not allows even us,not goverment , the peoples of this country to help them that leaves Cuba.
CUBA in the other hand acts better than us,because they helps all the boats of ilegal inmigrants that reach their coast, giving them food,water and even diesel for them to continue to USA.
Our official motto is "He hath founded it upon the seas", is a blasphemous joke: "Cayman policy dictates that Cuban migrants cannot be assisted by the Cayman Islands if they wish to continue with their journey. If they request help, even food, water and fuel, they are taken into custody…"
It sickens me that Caymanians dare to pretend to such a motto and pay lips service to "God", but our official national policy is to treat needy humans worse than most heathens would.
This, a christian country? Bah! Only a utter fool would believe that. Don't don't even try to foist that drivel on people who know better. Just ask the Cubans, they know better.
Here is what the Bible has to say about our cruel and indifferent dealings and this country's cloak of false righteousness, and God's judgement upon such evil:
Out of the book of Luke (31-34, 41-46):
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
The Cayman Islands: according to the bible a nation full of self-righteouss but godless cursed goats destined to the eternal damnation prepared for the devil and his angels.
"He hath founded it upon the seas"? How pathetic!
seriously do you think these cubans want to come here. We have bigger problems than Cubans wanting to come here give the people water & food and let them be on there way.
My God, more work for immigration and island expense just to send them back to Cuba where they don't want to go. Can't we just give them supplies, food, and water, and allow them to go on their ways? To me, it is just a waste of time to process them as criminals; i.e., illegal landers… That is what you do with illegal landers from elsewhere like Jamaica and Honduras – not Cubans looking for a better life! Why process them? Cayman laws backward for true.
Mr. Captain man, if you don't process these people, take them as illegal landers, and repatriate them, you are incouraging them to come here by the hundreds and thousands. They will see Cayman like a transit to the United States. How will we be able to manage hundreds or thousands of women and children? We are in debt now as we speak! Even if we were to give them supplies and patch their boats along the way, they will telephone the people in Cuba, and eventually, you will have them come here at our expense. As a Captain exposed to the big sea, you need to see the big picture as well.
GT 14:16
Never mind boat Captain; if he wants to come out of the North Sound he can research what SOLAS has to say about sending these people out in a vessel in this condition. Then he can join the big people conversation.
Admiral
Anoyhrt boatload is on its way to Cayman, get ready
The really big picture is that it is cruel to let souls go adrift without food or water and the only alternative is to send them to pison for trying to escape for a better life.
No one can claim to be a Christian who denies these souls a chance for a better life. I'm sorry, but food, water, and love is the right of every human being…..and if it brings more people, then the world will have to open their eyes.
I'm sad this group did not make it and cry for those lost at sea.
Treehugger, the world will not open their eyes, but will cause Cayman to sink in serious debt. The UK could care less, as well as the rest of the world could care less about us. You are asking for an invasion. Besides, Cubans need to sort out their own problems and take back their own country – not run from it.