Guatemalan authorities this Tuesday expelled a group of nearly 60 migrants of Cuban nationality who had transited the country irregularly to continue their way to the United States, according to a report by the Guatemalan Institute for Migration.
The largest group was detained by the Agua Dulce Naval Post on board three boats carrying 50 Cuban nationals and two Hondurans.
For its part, the National Civil Police (PNC) had also reported the arrest of eight Cuban nationals traveling by land in Izabal.
#Information | Navy the @Army_GT 52 persons of Cuban nationality who were transferred to the United States by sea were located. ➡️ https://t.co/uWrxKzW9TC pic.twitter.com/lLysGlOiik
Migration Guatemala (@MigracionGuate) March 22, 2022
According to the Efe agency, the Cubans entered the territory by land via Honduras.
The note explains that the security forces implemented established protocols and took the people to the Corinto (Izabal) border post, where they were expelled from Guatemalan territory for failing to meet established requirements.
Also remember that Cuba is a category C country, which is why its nationals must present a consulted visa to enter the Guatemalan territory, a valid passport and a COVID test or full vaccination certificate.
Due to its geographical location, Guatemala is a natural transit point for thousands of migrants from Central and South America, the Caribbean countries and Africa, among others, who want to reach the United States in search of better living conditions.
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According to experts, more than 500,000 Guatemalans, Salvadorans and Hondurans seek irregular migration to the United States each year to escape the poverty and violence that plague the region, despite the risks involved in traveling through Mexico.
Data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shows that last January alone, the most recent month for which records were available, 9,827 Cuban immigrants were arrested, about 13 times the 732 for the same month in 2020.
Meanwhile, the number of irregular Cuban migrants who have returned from the United States, Mexico and the Bahamas is 861 so far this year, according to Cuban media reports.
Efe/OnCuba.