In an alarming turn of events, a group consisting of 28 Cuban nationals are currently in the custody of authorities at the Coral Harbor Detention Center in New Providence, Bahamas. This situation arose after a boat rescued her in the waters off the Exumas Islands and then handed her over to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.
Key cooperation in interception
Chief Petty Officer Acadia Smith, in an official statement, expressed gratitude for the maritime community’s cooperation in identifying and apprehending these migrants, as well as detecting other illegal activities on the high seas. It was reported that all rescued Cubans were in excellent physical condition and that they were undergoing an evaluation process by immigration authorities.
Alarming increase in migration
Bahamas Labor and Immigration Minister Keith Bell released alarming statistics, declaring that the number of Cubans intercepted on its shores in early 2022 had increased dramatically by 343% compared to the previous year. Likewise, a 51% increase in the arrival of Haitian migrants was observed during the same period.
Repatriations and seeking refuge in Mexico
Several cases of the return of Cuban rafters have been reported so far this year. Last May, Bahamian authorities repatriated 23 people to Cuba who, along with 74 other migrants, were brought back by the United States Coast Guard through the port of Orozco in Artemisa province.
In addition, in April, a group of 41 migrants, consisting of 37 men, 3 women and one child, were deported by air from the Bahamas to Havana. This flight was recorded as the 13th operation of its kind and up to that point statistics showed that a total of 599 Cubans had been repatriated under similar circumstances.
Challenges in Mexico: Influx of Migrants
Meanwhile, authorities in Mexico are coming under increasing pressure due to the constant influx of migrants arriving daily at the offices of the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (Comar), looking for a document that will give them a registration number to avoid deportation . Comar’s general director, Cinthia Pérez Trejo, confirmed that a staggering total of 10,000 migrants were assisted last week, most of them Cubans, Hondurans and Haitians.
Refugee application and restrictions on documents
To avoid deportation, many Cubans seek refuge in Mexico. Pérez Trejo explained that they should meet in offices in Ixman, almost five kilometers from the ecopark, where they will begin the process. These documents show 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 confer residency status and do not allow passage through the country. Therefore, migrants should be careful when moving within Mexico with these documents, as immigration authorities could arrest them for deportation.
Difficult conditions and high migration costs
Despite a slight decrease in the flow of migrants to the Comar offices in the Tapachula Ecopark, nearly 2,000 Cubans are still waiting their turn. One of them, Luis, 36 years old and from Havana, shared his fears, explaining that economic difficulties are forcing them to sleep on the streets as local hotels charge prohibitive prices, up to $70 a night. Luis is traveling with his wife and nephew and they have decided not to join a caravan of about 1,000 Cubans that recently set off due to the high costs and risks involved in traveling to the United States.
Yunier Castillo, another Cuban in Tapachula, stressed that the route through Nicaragua is expensive and dangerous and that his brothers in the United States are financing his trip, which has so far amounted to $23,000. “Getting to the United States is more expensive for Cubans because they think we have a lot of money, but here in Tapachula we survive on what our relatives send us and that’s why there are very long lines, otherwise there are very long ones Snakes.” 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, leading to a series of tragic events. For example, some migrants have resorted to paying truck drivers to expedite their journey. Something that has led to fatal accidents, such as recently in Chiapas when a van carrying more than 20 migrants from Guatemala and Ecuador overturned, resulting in four deaths and 16 injuries.
Amid this influx of migrants, the Mexican government is exploring the possibility of deporting migrants rejected by the United States to Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia. Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena mentioned this initiative, which comes in addition to the six weekly deportation flights that Mexico currently operates to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. However, no further details were provided regarding the ongoing immigration agreements between Mexico and the United States.
This migration phenomenon had a significant impact in Mexico, as freight trains were suspended due to the presence of thousands of migrants in the wagons and on the tracks. There are also demonstrations, camps on the Rio Grande on the border with the USA and confrontations with the authorities in both countries. The situation continues to pose a challenge for Mexican and U.S. authorities. It raises urgent questions about how to effectively address the complex humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.