A group of 62 Cuban migrants has been deported by the U.S. government via air transport. The group, consisting of seven women and 55 men, landed at Havana's "José Martí" International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
The state-run newspaper Granma reported that eight of the returnees had left Cuba illegally by sea. The remaining migrants had departed legally by air but later undertook an irregular journey to reach the U.S. border.
Additionally, it was noted that one of the deportees was immediately taken to prison due to being linked to a crime committed in Cuba.
Between January and August 2024, deportations of Cuban migrants from the United States to Cuba have surged. The first flight of the year, carrying 37 Cubans, arrived in Havana on January 25. In March, another plane with 61 deported Cubans landed, bringing the year's total to 149 repatriated individuals by that time. By April, U.S. authorities had returned 47 migrants, and 52 more were sent back after being intercepted at sea.
The trend of deportations persisted in the following months. In May, 45 Cubans were repatriated, and in June, a flight with 56 deportees arrived in Havana. By the end of August, over a thousand Cubans had been deported in 65 operations from various countries, including the United States. In one recent instance in August, 48 Cubans returned, with several facing pending charges on the island.
The ongoing migrant crisis highlights a persistent pattern of detentions and repatriations of Cubans attempting to enter the United States.