Cuba receives another 27 rafters returned by the US.

HAVANA, Aug 6th Cuba received a new group of 27 rafters returned from the United States, with which there are 4,210 irregular migrants from the island deported bythe Washington authorities, by air and sea, so far in 2023, the Ministry of the Interior (Minint) reported this Sunday.

These rafters returned the day before had participated in four illegal exits from the island and were later intercepted at sea by the US Coast Guard Service (USCG).

Three of those returned were on probation “for serving criminal sanctions at the time of leaving the island” and “they will be made available to the corresponding courts for the revocation of said benefit,” said the Ministry.

The deported Cubans were received by the island’s authorities in the port of Orozco (Bahía Honda, western province of Artemisa).

Cuba and the US have a bilateral agreement so that all migrants who arrive by sea are returned to the island.

This was added last November to the airway. Both countries agreed to resume deportation flights for “inadmissible” people held at the border with Mexico.

Returns by air between Cuba and the US had been suspended since December 2020.

During this fiscal year, which began on October 1, more than 6,800 Cubans have been intercepted by the USCG on trips to the coast of the state of Florida (USA).

During 2023, Cuba has also received repatriated migrants from the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.