Thursday, October 10, 2024

The U.S. returns home 119 Cuban migrants as number of migrants traveling by sea increases

This week, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that it had returned 119 Cuban migrants back to their home after picking them up at sea, making it the largest Cuban expulsion in four years. This marks a growing trend of Cuban migration from sea, which has been increasing over the years.

The U.S. Coast Guard shared that the migrants were detained in 12 operations over a 3- day period in the South Florida Straits from the Bahamas to the Florida Keys.

As the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. sanctions have broken down Cuba’s economy, many migrant groups are testing their luck at sea.

Cuban statistics show that in the fiscal year 2022, which begins in October, 586 Cuban migrants have unlawfully migrated to the United States making it a higher rate than 2021 when only 838 Cubans were apprehended by the Coast Guard.

Cuba states that high U.S. sanctions and policies, including the Cold War- era embargo have led to an increase of unauthorized migration. However, they advocate for legal and safe migration for all Cubans.

NBC News