The 17 Haitian migrants who arrived at Playa Siboney in Santiago de Cuba after spending approximately a week adrift on a makeshift boat departed on Tuesday for their return to Haiti from Antonio Maceo International Airport.
The Cuban Red Cross described the return as voluntary, although no statements from the migrants themselves about the process have emerged so far.
Aris Arias Batalla, provincial head of Operations and Relief of the Cuban Red Cross in Santiago de Cuba, reported on Facebook that the Haitians had departed from the Santiago airport and would soon be reunited with their families.
"A voluntary and solidarity return took place a few minutes ago at Antonio Maceo International Airport in Santiago de Cuba," he wrote.
The group consisted of 14 men, one woman, one girl, and one boy, and had arrived at Playa Siboney during the night of September 21st.
The migrants had been at sea for about seven days aboard a wooden makeshift boat before reaching the Cuban shores.
The first reports indicated that they intended to reach the United States. However, the Cuban Red Cross later clarified that the vessel had initially set sail for Jamaica, but the sea conditions ultimately diverted it to Santiago de Cuba.
After disembarking, the 17 Haitians underwent medical evaluations and received food, water, and health assistance. According to the authorities, none had health issues that posed a risk at that time.
Attention was particularly focused on the woman and the two minors traveling with the group. Later, Immigration and Foreign Affairs officials carried out the identification procedures before organizing their return.
It is not the first large influx of Haitians to Cuba
Cuba has received vessels carrying Haitian migrants diverted during crossings in the Caribbean on other occasions.
One of the most notable cases occurred in May 2022, when more than 800 Haitians arrived at the shores of Caibarién, in Villa Clara. Subsequently, they were sent back to Haiti from Abel Santamaría Airport, in a process coordinated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The return of the 17 migrants comes at a time when Haiti is experiencing a severe humanitarian and security crisis, marked by violence from armed groups and massive internal displacement.
In August 2026, IOM reported around 1.49 million internally displaced persons in Haiti, amid the expansion of violence into areas of the country that were previously considered safer.
The security crisis has also resulted in a high toll of victims. According to figures from the United Nations cited by Human Rights Watch, at least 19,380 people died between January 2023 and June 2026 as a result of violence related to criminal groups, self-defense groups, and state security forces.
In that context, thousands of Haitians continue to leave their communities and move within and outside the country, while the dangerous maritime routes of the Caribbean are still being used by those seeking to escape violence and precarious living conditions.
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