EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, 5 November 2023 — A group of 105 Cubans arrived this Saturday in Havana on a flight from Mexico as part of an agreement between the two nations to return irregular migrants to their country of origin, the Ministry of the Interior (Minint) reported. The Cubans (70 men and 35 women) “legally left Cuba and later became involved in irregular routes to try to reach Mexico’s border with the United States,” it added.
The Cuban authorities said that this is the ninth operation from that country in 2023, with 677 people in total.
It is estimated that in 2022, around 4% of the Cuban population left the country, and this year’s figures could be similar according to those accumulated to date
“In general, with this flight there have been 119 returns made this year, with 4,884 people returned from different nations in the region,” the Minint reported.
The migratory wave, unprecedented in the volume of migrants, is due to the serious economic crisis that the Island suffers, with a great shortage of basic products (food, medicines and fuel), galloping inflation, frequent blackouts and a partial dollarization of the economy.
It is estimated that in 2022, around 4% of the Cuban population left the country and this year’s figures could be similar according to those accumulated to date.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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