Over the last few days, more than 500 migrants have arrived in small boats in Florida, according to the local sheriff’s office in the Florida Keys. On Monday, the sheriff’s office also described the situation as a “crisis.”
Across the Caribbean and Cuba, there are many areas where the high inflation, economic troubles, and food shortages have led to a new wave of migration. During the weekend, 300 migrants arrived at the Dry Tortugas National Park, which is around 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Key West. The park has been closed off until law enforcement and medical personnel have a chance to evaluate and move the group to Key West according to the park’s Twitter account.
Around 160 migrants have arrived by boat in different parts of Florida Keys throughout the New Year’s Day weekend. On Monday, two groups made their way to the Middle Keys.
In a news release, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay blasted the federal response to the incoming migrants saying that local resources are being strained. The U.S. Border Patrol also told the sheriff’s office that many of the migrants arriving might need to wait a day for the federal response.
Ramsay, whose jurisdiction extends throughout Florida Keys, has said that refugee arrivals require a lot of resources and that the Sheriff’s Office is working hard in order to ensure the health and safety of the migrants. They added that there is a “lack of a working plan by the federal government to deal with a mass migration issue that was foreseeable.”
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