BAHAMAS DENIES ASYLUM AND REPATRIATES 29 CUBANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 000504 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR WBENT, PRM/ECA KPERKINS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2015 TAGS: PHUM SMIG PHSA PREF PREL CU BF SUBJECT: BAHAMAS DENIES ASYLUM AND REPATRIATES 29 CUBANS REF: A. 04 NASSAU 2335 ¶B. 04 NASSAU 2355 ¶C. 04 NASSAU 2407 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Robert M. Witajewski for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d) ¶1. (C) The Bahamian Department of Immigration repatriated 29 Cubans on March 15, 2005, including nine Cuban men who had claimed to be members of the "November 30 Frank Pais Party." Bahamian Immigration, upon the recommendation of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR),denied the nine Cubans political refugee status. The Government of Nicaragua had offered asylum to these nine in particular, but the Bahamians refused the transfer as it would set a bad precedent -- that those who are denied asylum in The Bahamas could still bring pressure to bear to be transferred to third countries. ¶2. (U) The nine Cubans were taken to Her Majesty's Prison at Fox Hill on potential arson charges following the December 9, 2004, fire and uprising at the Carmichael Road Detention Center (see reftels). Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet decided to drop the charges in order to expedite the Cubans' repatriation to their homeland. In a media interview Peet said, "We thought that the expense that the country would incur made it not worth pursuing charges, and it is in everyone's interest to have them out of here." ¶3. (C) Despite public concerns from Florida-based Cuban-American groups regarding the safety of the alleged members of the "November 30 Frank Pais group" if returned to Cuba, Cuban Consul-General to The Bahamas Felix Wilson said "They arrive in Cuba and they are taken to their homes, and that is it... Many people claim that they are political refugees just to get to the U.S." In a private conversation with the DCM in mid-January, Director of Immigration Vernon Burrows said that during the interviews for asylum, the nine Cubans claiming to be political refugees could not even remember the full name of the party, or provide any details of their participation in the party in support of their claim. WITAJEWSKI