NOTE: Story below. Two separate persons have posted that the cruise ship that picked up the Cuban migrants was the Carnival LIBERTY and NOT the Legend as the following story.

The information we were given below came from a CI Government Agency

 

Immigration officials are presently working to process 25 Cuban migrants, who had left Grand Cayman yesterday to travel to Swan Island, Honduras.

The cruise ship Carnival Legend picked up the migrants earlier today, after they had headed back to Grand Cayman to seek medical attention for three of their number, but found themselves running low on fuel. After the migrants boarded the cruise ship, their own vessel, which contained most of their property, was set adrift. It is now the object of a search by the Marine Unit.

Presently housed at the Immigration Detention Centre, the migrants will remain there while they are processed by officials.

In such cases the Department of Immigration (DOI), the Deputy Governor’s Office, the British Embassy in Havana and the Cuban Government work together to confirm the identities of each person.

While in Immigration custody, individuals have the option to request asylum from the Cayman Islands Government. Such claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis, using the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCRs) Handbook for Determining Refugee Status. Any unsuccessful asylum seeker, or those who choose not to request asylum, are repatriated to Cuba.

As long as they remain in DOI care, the Department is responsible for the welfare of the migrants, including their general health and well-being. To this end the Red Cross has provided cots for the group, and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has been asked to secure clothing and food items.