Cuban political refugee Javier Freites and his wife, Erica Alvarez-Freites, have vowed to continue protesting outside Government Administration Building, as they pleaded for their marriage to be recognised and Alvarez-Freites to be granted residency and employment rights.
The issue is not a new one and the couple, who has a 10-month-old daughter, has been protesting for several months government’s failure to rectify what they consider a gap in the Customs and Border Control Law.
The couple spent Monday night in a makeshift area at the base of the steps of the Elgin Avenue building, and Freites said they will continue to do so until someone hears their plea.
“I am [a] political refugee. The government of Cayman does not respect my rights. They give me asylum because of what happened to me in Cuba… all the problems I have in Cuba. They gave me asylum, but they do not respect my rights [for my family],” he said Tuesday afternoon.
The Cuban couple’s plight arises from section 111(3) of the law, which establishes that successful asylum applicants may add a dependent child under the age of 18 who is already on island. However, the section does not cover a spouse.
Freites, who was moved to tears of frustration, said he was hurt that government is not hearing their pleas.
The couple, together with their baby and four other refugees in a similar situation, returned to Government Administration Building Tuesday to plead their case.
Freites said he was disappointed that no one from government has met with them since they started protesting.
“Nobody in this building [has] come here and said what happened here? What do you need? What is the problem you have? No, only because the government discriminate against my people… only because we from Cuba,” Freites said.
He said he is still distressed that his baby was detained by police during their protest back in October. He held a sign denouncing the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service for their action in that incident.
Freites said all they want is to be able to sustain themselves.
“The government blocked the residency for my wife. The life in Cayman is very, very expensive. It’s impossible [to survive] with only one person [working,]” he said.
The Cayman Compass reached out to Premier Alden McLaughlin as well as to the Ministry of Employment and Border Control, which is part of his portfolio, for comment on the protest and what action is being taken to address the refugees’ concerns.
No response was received by publication time.
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Perhaps this guy should be thanking us for giving him asylum in the first place rather than complaining about discrimination.
terrible