In the previous few days, at least 500 migrants have arrived in small boats near the Florida Keys, which the local sheriff’s office termed as a “crisis” on Monday.
In Cuba and other countries of the Caribbean, economic turmoil, food shortages, and surging inflation are driving the most current wave of exodus.
About 70 miles west of Key West, 300 migrants arrived in the sparsely populated Dry Tortugas National Park over the weekend.
Officials reported about 160 migrants arrived by boat in different areas of the Florida Keys over the New Year’s holiday weekend.
Two more groups of 30 migrants were discovered in the Middle Keys on Monday.
The park tweeted that it was closed so law enforcement and medical officials could evaluate the group before transporting them to Key West.
Approximately 300 Cuban migrants arrived in the Florida Keys over the weekend. A deserted raft was spotted beached near Sombrero beach.
Cuba faces high inflation, economic instability, and food shortages.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay stated in a press release that the federal response to the increase in migrant arrivals was straining local resources.
The U.S. Border Patrol informed the sheriff’s office that the government reaction to some of the approaching migrants may be delayed by one day, according to the news release.
“Refugee arrivals demand significant resources from the Sheriff’s Office as we assist our federal law enforcement partners in ensuring the migrants’ health and safety,” said Ramsay, whose office has jurisdiction over the Florida Keys.
This demonstrates that the federal government lacked a plan to address the foreseen issue of mass migration.
Dry Tortugas National Park officials expect the park to be closed for several days because to the space and resources required to assist the migrants.
The national park is located at the southernmost edge of the United States, and its coral reefs, nesting sea turtles, tropical fish, and shipwrecks draw scuba divers and snorkelers.
The National Park Service issued a press release stating, “Like everywhere in the Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas National Park has recently observed an uptick in the number of Cubans arriving by boat and landing on its islands.”
In the past decade, migration to South Florida has increased significantly.
Jorge Yunier Cepa Sanchez displayed the compass he utilized to guide migrants to Florida.
Dry Tortugas National Park officials closed the park to assist migrants.
A group of Cuban migrants was observed in the center of Duck Key, Florida, standing in the sun.
Approximately 6,180 Cubans were apprehended at sea by the United States Coast Guard during the September-ending fiscal year of 2022. Another batch of migrants was observed at Duck Key on Monday.
In addition to the national park, 160 migrants came in the Middle and Upper Keys over the weekend. U.S. Customs and Border Protection tweeted that at least 88 of the migrants originate from Cuba.
In recent months, U.S. Border Patrol and Coast Guard teams patrolling South Florida and the Keys have intercepted hundreds of migrants, primarily from Cuba and Haiti. This is the greatest increase in boat migration in in a decade.
According to Reuters, around 6,180 Cubans were intercepted at sea by the United States Coast Guard during fiscal year 2022. The fiscal year ended in September, but by mid-December, 3,000 more migrants had arrived.
Last year, 220,000 Cubans were apprehended after fleeing to the US-Mexico border.
»500 Cubans flee to the Florida Keys as Cuba faces economic crisis«