Another group of Cuban migrants fled from the George Town Immigration Detention Centre Wednesday, about 48 hours after a massive break-out from the facility Monday afternoon.
Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Gary Wong said three migrants escaped around 5 p.m. Wednesday from the center in the Fairbanks area of George Town. He said officers spent most of the night searching, but by press time Thursday the escapees had not been located.
The Cubans held at the detention center are typically taken into custody in the waters surrounding the Cayman Islands, when their boats run aground or have mechanical problems. These groups are not generally thought by authorities to be dangerous to the local community, although their criminal backgrounds – if they have any prior convictions – can be difficult to obtain.
The migrants normally remain in the Cayman Islands until they are able to be repatriated to Cuba, a process that sometimes takes months. They are allowed to apply for political asylum in Cayman, but generally the men and women are considered to be “economic migrants” rather than political refugees.
On Monday, a group of 25 migrants escaped from the detention center, but 24 of the 25 were caught “within minutes” of the break out, according to Mr. Wong.
One man from the group Monday was not located immediately.
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