It has just been revealed that a Disney cruise ship has rescued a boat of migrants near the Cayman Islands.
Disney Wonder had left Miami and was en route for Grand Cayman when it came across 12 suspected Cuban migrants stranded on a makeshift boat.
The cruise ship rescued the men who were struggling in the water before taking them to Grand Cayman where they were handed to authorities
U.S. Coast Guard 7th District spokesman, Jon-Paul Rios, stated that the boat was ‘unseaworthy’, however he added it is unclear whether the migrants were trying to make their way to the United States.
The incident comes as cruise ships have agreed to contact the U.S. Coast Guard if they come into contact with migrants; often the cruise liners will pick up the migrants and take them to the ship’s next port of call and hand them over to authorities.
However, this is not the first time a Disney cruise ship has rescued migrants: in 2013, a group of eight were picked up off the coast of Key West.
Immigration from Cuba to the U.S. has spiked dramatically in the past year since Havana and Washington announced they would restore diplomatic relations.
Many Cuban migrants say they are keen to make the journey now for fear if the relations do not continue, it could bring an end to the U.S. policies that given them privileged treatment.
Backers of the United States’ Cuban Adjustment Act say it offers refuge to islanders fleeing Cuba’s communist system.
What do you think of the news today? Do you agree with Disney’s decision to save the boat of Cuban migrants and hand them over to the authorities? What other stories have you heard of Disney coming to the rescue? Leave us your comments below…
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