The United States Coast Guard (USCG) repatriated to Cuba this Wednesday 31 irregular migrants who were intercepted in several operations in the Strait of Florida.
In a Press releaseLieutenant Commander Juan Ramírez, of the USCG Seventh District, highlighted the importance of safe, orderly and legal migration.
Ramirez said the U.S. Coast Guard’s “top priority” “is to prevent the tragic loss of life at sea.”
“The Coast Guard and its Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast Partners will continue to have a presence in the air and in the waters to detect and deter migrants from attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea,” the official added.
The official note states that “once on board a coast guard, all migrants are treated with dignity and respect, and receive food, water, accommodation and basic medical care.”
Cuba suffers an unprecedented exodus. Last April, almost 18 thousand Cubans arrived at the borders of the United States, according to the registry of the Office of Customs and Border Protection. More than half a million Cubans have emigrated since December 2021, according to official figures.
US authorities have reiterated that they will not tolerate irregular immigration. In an interview this Tuesday with the informative magazine Martí AM Newsthe lawyer expert on the subject, Willy Allen, insisted that “it will be very difficult for migrants to enter US territory through this route if they do not use legal forms.”
Last week, the Coast Guard repatriated 26 rafters to Cubadetained near the Florida Keys when they were trying to enter the country illegally.
“Repeated illegal attempts to immigrate to the United States are subject to prosecution, in addition to ineligibility for legal immigration pathways,” the lieutenant commander warned at the time. USCG Seventh District Attorney Tanner Stiehl.
