Cuban rafters are rescued by a cruise ship near Miami – 2024-02-28 15:12:43

A group of Cuban rafters were rescued by a luxury cruise ship from the Carnival company near the coast of Florida.

The incident occurred on Saturday, February 24, when the boat spotted a rustic boat drifting near the coast of the city of Miami.

Videos shared on social networks show that the group consists of at least 20 members.

One of these recordings, shared on TikTokshow that the homemade boat was having trouble staying afloat, as at least two people are constantly seen scooping water out of the interior with buckets.

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After the rescue, the captain of the cruise ship notified the corresponding authorities, this as part of the established protocol when providing help to rafters on the high seas.

Another video, this time published on Instagram, shared the moment in which a United States Coast Guard (USCG) boat was leaving the Carnival Celebration cruise ship after having taken twenty rafters on board.

Now, the immigration authorities will determine if these rafters can remain in the country after demonstrating “credible fear,” or if they will be returned to the Island; however, the vast majority of Cubans are deported in this type of case.

Cuban rafters rescued by cruise ships

This is not the first time that a luxury cruise ship has had to rescue a group of Cuban rafters on the high seas, and due to the economic crisis currently plaguing the country, it is likely to be far from the last.

At the end of January, About twelve Cuban rafters were rescued by a vessel belonging to the Norwegian Cruise Line company.. The group was spotted about 200 miles off the coast of the state of Quinta Roo, near the small port of Mahahual, in Mexico.

After their rescue, the rafters were placed in the custody of the Mexican Navy, which was in charge of transporting them to the mainland, where they were received by members of the National Migration Institute (INM).

A few weeks before, also in January, Another group of Cubans was rescued on the high seas by a cruise ship while they were heading to Florida. On that occasion, the Cubans indicated that they had been adrift for several days, during which time they had been left without water and food.