In Florida, an influx of Cuban immigrants leads to the closing of a national park

U.S. officials said Monday that Dry Tortugas National Park, a group of islands west of Florida, will be closed until further notice due to an increasing number of boats arriving from Cuba.

Located 110 kilometers west of Florida’s southernmost city of Key West and 160 kilometers north of the Cuban capital, Havana, lies a remote area known for its historic Fort Jefferson.

“The park will be temporarily closed to the public while law enforcement and medical personnel evaluate, treat and coordinate the transport to Key West of approximately 300 migrants who arrived at the park over the past two days,” the US service said Sunday. A press release.

“Like other places in the Florida Keys, the park has recently seen an increase in the number of people arriving by boat from Cuba and landing on the islands of Dry Tortugas National Park,” he added.

Facing its worst economic crisis since the 1990s, Cuba saw a record number of its residents flee to the United States in 2022, though most of them came to the country by land via Mexico.

Yet thousands of migrants make the perilous journey by boat to Florida, where many are stopped by the US Coast Guard or detained by authorities upon disembarkation.

From the beginning of October to the end of December 2022, the US Coast Guard arrested more than 3,700 Cubans.

Scores of people have died trying to cross the sea, including five when their boat collided with a vessel operated by Cuban border guards in October.

Dry Tortugas National Park said that when migrants arrive, “first responders will provide food, water and basic medical care until the Department of Homeland Security arrives and takes over.”

The press release stated that the park will be closed for several days.