🌍 Migrants illegally leave Cayman Islands, investigation underway

The Customs and Border Control Service (CBC) is currently investigating the report of twelve undocumented migrants who have illegally left the Cayman Islands. The group included ten Cuban nationals and two Ethiopians who were reportedly smuggled into the country against their will. The CBC has yet to provide details regarding the circumstances or timeline of the migrants' departure. 🕵️‍♂️

The two Ethiopian refugees, Kedir Osama Musa and Tilahum Assafa Bruke, were discovered locked under the deck of a UK-registered sailing boat that arrived in Cayman Brac in May. The boat's captain and his wife, both British nationals, were later imprisoned for human trafficking. The refugees claimed they were forced to flee Ethiopia due to political unrest and conflict, and had paid the couple roughly US$4,500 for passage to Brazil. However, the boat ended up in Cayman Brac. 🚤

As refugees, the Ethiopian men could not be returned to their homeland. They were under the supervision of immigration officials, along with the Cuban nationals awaiting asylum claims or deportation. It remains unclear whether the Ethiopians were seeking asylum in the Cayman Islands, as international rules stipulate that refugees must seek asylum in the first safe country they reach. 🛂