Mariel Boat Lift
The Mariel Boatlift was a mass exodus of refugees from Cuba's Mariel Harbour, from April 1 until September 26, 1980, when Castro closed the harbour. Most of the boats were headed to Florida.
Approx. 124,776 Cuban Migrants arrived in the United States in nearly 1,387 boats, the majority of which were unseaworthy. Only 27 migrants died, 14 on an overloaded boat which capsized on May 17, 1980. Upon arrival, many Cubans were placed in refugee camps, while some were confined to federal prisons to undergo expulsion hearings.
Additional information
Larzelere, Alex. The 1980 Cuban Boatlift. (Washington DC: National Defense University Press): 1988.
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