The second Cuban migrant who escaped from the Immigration Detention Centre at Fairbanks in George Town has been found. Two male migrants had escaped from the facility on Saturday 7 Feb. but by the following Monday one of them had returned.
The second individual was apprehended on Friday, 20 Feb. by Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control Service officers. In a statement, Customs and Border thanked its partner agencies and members of the public for their cooperation and assistance.
A police statement issued when the escape was discovered said that the migrants were not believed to be dangerous but asked the public to remain vigilant. Assisting or harbouring an individual or helping them enter or leave the Cayman Islands unlawfully, is an offence under the Customs and Border Control Act and may result in a fine of $50,000 and a seven-year jail term.
Migrant influx
Because of the deteriorating situation in Cuba, the Cayman Islands Government has set up a Mass Migration Committee to coordinate its response actions in anticipation of a significant influx of migrants from the island.
Six adult Cuban men arrived in Grand Cayman Monday 16 Feb. after they were rescued at sea by a passing vessel, while 10 men arrived in Little Cayman by boat on 31 Jan.
Nine migrants were repatriated to Cuba on a non-chartered Cayman Airways flight on Friday 13 Feb., bringing the total of repatriated Cuban migrants to 13 since the beginning of 2026.
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