Through an official statement, Mexican immigration authorities confirmed that they would be in charge of processing the 28 Cuban rafters who were rescued at sea by a Carnival cruise ship last week.
This is the group that was seen adrift on April 21 by the Carnival Paradise cruise ship, whose images of the rescue circulated on social networks.
According to the National Migration Institute (INM), this began the procedures for the immigration status of the group, made up of 18 men, nine women and one minor. These were made available to the INM on the island of Cozumel, belonging to the state of Quintana Roo.
The INM recapitulated that the Cubans were rescued on the high seas by a ship that left the coast of Tampa and was heading towards Roatán, in Honduras.
The sighting of the rustic boat in which the Cubans were found occurred around 2:30 pm, and the captain of the cruise ship ordered it to turn around so that the Cubans could approach and rescue them.
After being taken aboard, the Cubans received food and water, while the cruise ship continued its journey south. Along the way, they notified the Mexican authorities, and agreed to hand over the rafters to the INM.
In collaboration with International Health of the Ministry of Health, the Cubans underwent several medical check-ups to determine that they were in good condition, before being transported to Playa del Carmen.
After that, the group of rafters was taken to a provisional INM station in the city of Cancún, where they were provided with accommodation while their immigration situation was resolved.
According to the statement, the minor was placed at the disposal of the System for the Comprehensive Development of the Family (DIF), and was taken to the Casa Filtro shelter, “in order for protection measures to be issued and the plan for the restitution of rights to be determined. ”.
Finally, the INM recalled its commitment to carrying out humanitarian work and promoting safe, legal and orderly migration.
#Communiqué 📄| @INAMI_mx 🇲🇽 #Quintana Roo received 28 migrants from #Cuba 🇨🇺 rescued at sea by an international cruise ship in Cozumel. These are 18 men, nine women and an unaccompanied adolescent minor.
🔗 pic.twitter.com/x1oJAXIImy— INM (@INAMI_mx) April 25, 2024
#Mexico #prosecute #Cuban #rafters #rescued #cruise #ship
