Photo Credit © Facebook / Aris Arias Batalla
A group of 17 Haitian citizens arrived after 10:00 pm on Monday, September 21, at Playa Siboney, in the municipality of Santiago de Cuba, after the vessel they were traveling in remained adrift for seven days and the hydrometeorological conditions diverted it to the Cuban coast.
The information was released by the pro-government official Aris Arias Batalla, who indicated that the group is made up of 14 men, one woman, one girl and one boy.
According to the migrants themselves, their final destination was the coast of the United States.
Specialists from Hygiene and Epidemiology arrived at the site to carry out sanitary control, Immigration and Foreign Affairs officials to identify the members of the group, medical and paramedical personnel, the Cuban Red Cross, the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) and representatives of the local government.
According to Arias Batalla, the 17 Haitians were examined by medical personnel and did not present any symptoms or signs that represented an immediate health risk.
This is not the first time Haitians have been diverted to Cuba.
The arrival of Haitian vessels on Cuban shores after drifting or deviating from their route to the United States has been recorded on several occasions in recent years.
In 2025, six Haitian fishermen were rescued off the southern coast of Santiago de Cuba after their boat was damaged by bad weather and drifted for several days. The men had left Haiti on July 23 and were located on the 27th in the waters off the municipality of Guamá.
One of the largest incidents occurred in May 2022, when a boat carrying 842 Haitians attempting to reach the United States ended up on the coast of Caibarién, Villa Clara, after being blown off course by several days of heavy rain and thunderstorms. According to Reuters, Cuban authorities provided them with humanitarian assistance.
Media outlets that covered the case indicated that some of the migrants had been deceived by traffickers who promised them a cruise to the United States and ended up abandoned in a precarious vessel.
Also in September 2021, around 420 Haitians arrived at different points in eastern Cuba after the boats they were traveling on were diverted from their route.
Cuban authorities then reported that they would coordinate his return to Haiti.
According to EFE, between 2001 and 2021, 76 boats carrying more than 4,000 Haitians arrived in Cuba, mainly through the eastern region.
The geographical proximity between Haiti and the eastern tip of Cuba contributes to vessels attempting to reach other destinations in the Caribbean or the United States being diverted towards Cuban territory by currents and weather conditions.
In February 2022, AFP noted that Punta de Maisí is separated from Haiti by about 77 kilometers through the Windward Passage, whose strong currents can divert vessels.
In the case reported this Monday at Siboney Beach, Cuban authorities have not yet announced what immigration procedure will be applied to the 17 Haitians or when their eventual return to Haiti might take place. @ADNCuba
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