(CMR) The Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control Service (CBC) repatriated six (6) migrants to the Republic of Cuba on Tuesday, 18 April 2023.
The six male migrants departed on the chartered Cayman Airways SAAB aircraft from Grand Cayman around 9:30 am.
“This sends another clear message that our repatriation operations will continue until all migrants that have been denied asylum are returned to their country of nationality. I sincerely thank our CBC officers for executing another successful operation,” CBC Director Charles Clifford said.
Irregular migrants, like all persons living in the Cayman Islands, are subject to the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands and may be prosecuted if they commit an offense, the CBC said.
Several Cubans have been repatriated so far this year. Last year the Cayman government passed Amendments to the Customs and Border Control Act (2022 Revision) to allow for faster determination of asylum applications and appeals to reduce the length of time migrants who do not qualify for refugee protection spend in the Cayman Islands.
Last year, it was estimated that the Government would spend almost $3 million to house and feed hundreds of migrants who were on island. With CI$1.6 million spent from January to October 2022, the year-end estimated total was over CI$2.9 million.
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