2023-10-01 21:12:40
In an alarming turn of events, a group consisting of 28 Cuban citizens is currently in the custody of authorities at the Coral Harbor Detention Center, located in New Providence, Bahamas. This situation developed after a boat rescued them in the waters near the Exumas Islands and subsequently handed them over to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.
Key Cooperation in Interception
Chief Petty Officer Acadia Smith, in an official statement, expressed his gratitude for the collaboration of the nautical community in the identification and capture of these migrants, as well as in detecting other illegal activities on the high seas. It was reported that all the rescued Cubans are in optimal physical condition and that they will be subjected to an evaluation process by the immigration authorities.
Alarming increase in migration
The Minister of Labor and Immigration of the Bahamas, Keith Bell, revealed an alarming statistic by stating that there has been a drastic increase of 343% in the number of Cubans intercepted on its coasts at the beginning of 2022, compared to the previous year. Likewise, an increase of 51% has been observed in the arrival of Haitian migrants during the same period.
Repatriations and search for refuge in Mexico
So far this year, several cases of the return of Cuban rafters have been reported. Last May, Bahamas authorities repatriated 23 people to Cuba, who were delivered along with 74 other migrants returned by the United States Coast Guard through the port of Orozco, in the province of Artemisa.
Additionally, in April, a group of 41 migrants, made up of 37 men, 3 women and a child, was deported by air from the Bahamas to Havana. This flight was recorded as the 13th operation of this type and, up to that point, statistics indicated that a total of 599 Cubans had been repatriated under similar circumstances.
Challenges in Mexico: Influx of Migrants
Meanwhile, in Mexico, authorities are facing increasing pressure due to the constant influx of migrants who come daily to the offices of the Mexican Commission for Aid to Refugees (Comar) in search of a document that will provide them with a registration number. official and, with this, avoid your deportation. The general director of Comar, Cinthia Pérez Trejo, confirmed that in the last week an astonishing total of 10,000 migrants have been assisted, the majority of them Cubans, Hondurans and Haitians.
Refugee application and limitations on documents
In an effort to avoid deportation, many Cubans are requesting refuge in Mexico. Pérez Trejo explained that they are scheduled to meet at offices located in Ixman, almost 5 kilometers from the Ecological Park, where they begin the process. These documents record that asylum seekers cannot return to their country of origin due to a significant risk, which guarantees non-refoulement by the Mexican State. However, it is important to note that these documents do not grant resident status and do not allow transit through the country, so migrants should be cautious when moving within Mexico with these documents, as immigration authorities could arrest them for a deportation.
Difficult conditions and high cost of migration
Despite a slight decrease in the influx of migrants to the Comar offices in the Tapachula Ecological Park, nearly 2,000 Cubans are still waiting their turn. One of them, Luis, 36 years old and from Havana, shared his fears and explained that economic difficulties force them to sleep on the street, since local hotels charge prohibitive prices, reaching $70 per night. Luis is traveling with his wife and his nephew and they have decided not to join a caravan of approximately 1,000 Cubans that left recently, due to the high costs and risks associated with the journey to the United States.
Yunier Castillo, another Cuban in Tapachula, highlighted that the route through Nicaragua is expensive and dangerous, and that his brothers in the United States are financing his trip, which to date has reached the figure of 23,000 dollars. “To be able to get to the United States is more expensive for Cubans, because they think we have a lot of money, but here in Tapachula we survive with what our relatives send us and that is why there are very long lines, since otherwise these places would be empty,” he commented.
Challenges in Mexico and possible expansion of deportations
The immigration situation in Mexico has become increasingly complex and challenging, and has given rise to a series of tragic events. For example, some migrants have resorted to paying truckers to advance their journey. Something that has led to fatal accidents such as the recent overturning of a van with more than 20 migrants from Guatemala and Ecuador in Chiapas, which resulted in four deaths and 16 injuries.
In the midst of this migratory flow, the Government of Mexico is exploring the possibility of deporting migrants rejected by the United States to Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia. The Mexican Foreign Minister, Alicia Bárcena, mentioned this initiative, which is in addition to the six weekly deportation flights that Mexico currently carries out for Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. However, no additional details were provided about the ongoing immigration agreements between Mexico and the United States.
This migratory phenomenon has had a significant impact in Mexico, with the suspension of freight trains due to the presence of thousands of migrants in the cars and on the tracks. As well as demonstrations, camps on the Rio Grande on the border with the United States and confrontations with the authorities of both countries. The situation continues to be a challenge for Mexican and US authorities. It raises urgent questions about how to effectively address the complex humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
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