Cubans return to Cayman on cruise ship
(CNS): A group of Cuban refugees who passed through East End on Wednesday returned on a cruise ship Thursday evening after three of their number became unwell. Immigration is now processing the 22 men and three women who were aboard the fibreglass vessel, which was headed for Swan Island, Honduras. Officials said that the Carnival Legend picked up the migrants after they had headed back towards Grand Cayman to seek medical attention and then ran low on fuel. The refugees were forced to abandon their own vessel, which contained most of their property, when they were picked up by the cruise ship. The Marine Unit then looked for the boat that was sent adrift.
Officials said the migrants will remain at the detention centre until they are processed by officials; and the Immigration Department, the Deputy Governor’s Office, the British Embassy in Havana and the Cuban Government will work together to confirm the identities of each person. They also acknowledged that the refugees have the right to request asylum from the Cayman Islands Government.
“Such claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis, using the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCRs) Handbook for Determining Refugee Status. Any unsuccessful asylum seeker, or those who choose not to request asylum, are repatriated to Cuba,” officials stated.
While they remain in DoI custody, it is responsible for the welfare of the migrants, including their general health and well-being. As a result, the Red Cross has provided cots for the group, and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has been asked to secure clothing and food items.
Category: Local News
It was NOT the Legend ship that picked them up it was Canival Liberty i was on it when it happened. and the situation wasnt as bad it this makes it sound it was handled very well.
And what does the newly accredited HRC have to say?
The HRC has been useless since it formed. What has it really done to help us? Just another smoke screen!
I have donated basic human needs supplies to Cubans in the past, and will continue to do so as long as I can without being arresting for doing so.
There, but for the grace of God, goes you and I. Their "boats" are usually very sorry craft that most of us would not try to go two miles in, and from what I understand, they've often put their life savings into such craft.
I don't understand those hard-hearted folk that espouse rugged treatment of seafaring Cubans. Some of the boats have had three generations of people, and wanting for nothing more than fuel, water and a bit of food to carry on their journey. Can you imagine a situation in which you'd put your family in a crappy boat — often travelling in excess of 500 miles on the open ocean, without GPS — just for a chance to live?
I will never deny anyone, anywhere, food or water. Even if you don't feel basic human compassion, consider that it is far cheaper for our country to provide them with fuel, food and water than the cost of housing and repatriating.
We need more people like you in this world, It looks like all others have no heart for a fellow human being.
Arriving in style!
I feel that the cayman government SHOULDN"T have contacted cuban government to advise them that they have been found… Human rights are in effect, to me what Cayman government should have done is, assist them with somewhere to stay, clothes and food, and see if we can afford to sponser them a full tank of gas to continue their journey once they are all feeling well…. " look at it this way, if you look at that picture of that boat, only god knows how much days and night they suffer in the cold rain and hot sun… "THATS HOW DESPERATE THEY ARE!! We as people should look at all of that and have some sort of heart to say hey they are trying their best torun away from cuba so lets just try to help them and put them on their way!
They are ready to leave abandon the boat to and their goods get to honduras because of the condition they are in, really now!!!!!! Do you think we should send them back to cuba or even cotact them to find out details about them?? Nahhh thats just cold hearted…….
the ship was carnival liberty not carnival legend! is it really that hard to get right . and they were treated well by the authorities. the Cubans walked straight up into the immigration van unshackled at spotts. i watched the whole time it was well done.
I feel so sad for these people. They must be so desperate to find a betterlife for themselves that they put their lives at risk like this. I can't image the stress and suffering they must be going through – they have nothing left. I have met many cubans and they are lovely, friendly people. I also can't imagine living without freedom and democracy. We, in Cayman, are so lucky beyond belief and I wish that by reading these types of stories people here would stop bleating about how hard it is to survive here. Everyone here has a roof over their heads, food to eat and the freedom to go wherever they choose without being punished for trying. If you are young and free from comittments, save/raise whatever pennies you can and go to a country where they need volunteers to help stop their children from dying of starvation and disease…perhaps then you will realise how lucky you are!
What a sad world we live in today, these people are humans, wanting what every other human want, a better life and we turn our nose up at them as if they are nothing or nobody. What happened to compassion? get these people some help for goodness sake !!!
Sorry about my overreaction in my previous post. I saw the headline and thought your reference to the cruise ship was humor toward the horrible vessel the Cubans were traveling in.
I saw one of their boats in East End a couple of years ago and was horrified that they would travel beyond the sight of land in such feeble craft.
Again sorry.
If they are unwell, Cayman is definitely NOT the place to go!! Health care in Cuba is better than it is in Cayman!!
It is but only for the visitors or tourists that bringin cash and paying for the service, not for the cuban people, abiously you haven't visited one of the local hospitals…………
I understand that you were trying to be funny with your mose insensitive headling referring to this craft as a cruise ship bit I have seen one of the boats up close and have seen the squalor and danger which is involved in such an escape from Cuba.
So as you enjoy your comfortable life and make humor at the danger and risk of others I hope some day you will realize your insitivity.
CNS: Perhaps if you can manage to read all the way to the end of the first paragraph you'll understand that the heading is not intended to be humorous. The Cubans were picked up by an actual cruise ship.