Cuban arrivals exceed budget

Cuban arrivals exceed budget
By: Brent Fuller | brent@cfp.ky
16 March, 2012

The Cayman Islands will end up spending close to $250,000 on services
for 'refugees' in the current government budget; mostly to support and
house Cuban boat migrants who end up landing illegally on the
territory's shores.

The government initially budgeted about $28,000 for those services.

Since the end of 2008, Cayman has not seen many migrants floating in its
waters on makeshift craft looking to get from here to Central America
and eventually up through Mexico 
into the United States.

However, last year, as the Cuban economy took a downturn, immigration
officials warned of an influx in Cuban migrants heading our way. By the
end of November 2011, there were 36 Cuban migrants being housed in
temporary trailers at the Immigration Detention Centre in George Town.

The trailers – which were the same ones used as temporary housing in the
aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 – are empty again as the two groups
of migrants who came over in October and November from Cayman Brac have

been sent home.

The problem of budgeting for Cuban refugees has plagued the Cayman
Islands government before. In previous years, government has seen budget
estimates of $60,000 for refugee care balloon to $600,000 because large
numbers of migrants inadvertently arrived in the Cayman Islands.

In addition, government officials have said additional costs may have to
be incurred in dealing with Cuban migrant housing.

One of the matters being considered in the upcoming review of the local
prison system is whether to move the women's prison from the Fairbanks
location to an area at the men's lock up at Northward.

The proposal would free up space at Fairbanks for the Immigration
Detention Centre, which has been shuttered because it is unsafe. The
idea is to move the Cuban migrants detained in the Cayman Islands to the
former women's prison, once it is cleared out.

Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs Chief Officer Eric Bush said
it was largely a matter of funding as to when that move 
might happen.

"It certainly couldn't happen this budget year," 
he said.

http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2012/03/16/Cuban-arrivals-exceed-budget/