Above: the Hotel Nacional de Cuba

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Cayman Islands and Cuba are working on the development of a new memorandum of understanding following the conclusion of high-level talks in Havana last week.

The meetings, which took place at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in Havana at the end of last week, largely focused on ways to prevent illegal migration from Cuba and “[preserve] the legitimacy of legal migration,” the Cayman Islands’ government said.

“We are confident that the new MOU will better facilitate the return of illegal Cuban migrants from the Cayman Islands, largely due to, among other things a significant reduction in processing time,” said Cayman Islands Deputy Governor Franz Manderson. “This should deter illegal migration from Cuba and, consequently, also reduce costs to the CI Government, incurred in detaining and maintaining the migrants.”

Manderson headed the Cayman team, which also included Attorney General Samuel Bulgin in a five-member delegation.

Cuba’s delegation was led by Ambassador Rafael Dausa Cespedes, director of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.