Cuban rafters protest in front of the government building in the Cayman Islands

A group of Cuban rafters held a strong protest in front of the Cayman Islands Government Administration, in response to the persecution and subsequent arrest of two migrants from the island this week.

Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control (CBC) had confirmed an operation in the early hours of April 30 at the Bodden Town Civic Center (BTCC), with the aim of locating two migrants who had escaped lawful detention at the CBC Detention Center (CBC DC).

These migrants, who would have arrived on rafts to the British Overseas Territory, were found and subsequently arrested, and currently face several charges for evading police custody.

However, this incident served as the trigger for a protest of more than 20 migrants, who gathered on the stairs of the Government Administration building on Tuesday, April 30.

Authorities said the majority of migrants remaining in Grand Cayman arrived before legislative reforms introduced in December 2022 and the protest demanded the resolution of pending asylum cases.

He explained in this regard that asylum cases are in process before the Refugee Protection Appeals Tribunal, but that there are actually delays in the conclusion of the appeal.

It points out that the CBC provides irregular migrants with accommodation, food, personal hygiene items, medical care and medicines when necessary, under the supervision of the Health Services Authority (HSA).

It also clarifies that those migrants housed in the Bodden Town Civic Center are in temporary admission, awaiting the resolution of their requests for political asylum, without being subject to detention; but that until now the majority of Cubans who arrive have been considered economic migrants, and do not meet the requirements to receive political asylum.

In the specific case of Cuban migrants, these are repatriated to Cuba through an agreement with the Havana regime that activated deportations in January 2023.