MIAMI, FL – A chartered flight carrying 104 Cuban migrants landed at Havana’s José Martí International Airport on Thursday, marking the latest deportation effort by the United States. The operation, confirmed by Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior (MININT), is the second such repatriation since Donald Trump's return to the presidency, and falls under the existing bilateral migration agreements between the two nations.
The group consisted of 84 men, 19 women, and one minor. Cuban state media, Cubadebate, reported that upon arrival, one individual was taken into custody for alleged prior criminal activity, and two others were detained for violating parole by illegally leaving the island.
This deportation is part of a larger trend. So far this year, Cuba has received 296 repatriated migrants from 11 separate deportation flights originating from various countries in the region. The resumption of these flights in April 2023, a collaborative effort between Havana and Washington, primarily targets those deemed “inadmissible” at the U.S.-Mexico border. Additionally, a standing agreement mandates the return of any Cuban migrants intercepted at sea.
The surge in migration stems from dire economic conditions within Cuba, characterized by severe shortages of food and medical supplies, coupled with rampant inflation. These hardships have driven many Cubans to undertake perilous journeys across the Florida Straits in hopes of reaching the United States.
The current wave of Cuban migration has seen nearly half a million Cubans enter the U.S. in the past three years. The Biden Administration's humanitarian parole program, initiated in January 2023, had initially helped to curb the number of sea-bound migrants. 1 However, its cancellation by the Trump Administration has coincided with increased deportation efforts.
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