The seamans intention was to seek political asylum in the United States. The matter was handled quickly and efficiently with only 15 minutes passing between the time he jumped ship until he departed Eisenhower lock in the custody of American officials. The Seaway Corporation employees. following that agencys wellthoughtout and written procedures addressing such circumstances. apprehended and detained the Cuban national until Immigration personnel arrived. Recognizing that he might be seeking political asylum. they made no attempt to force him back onto the ship. Hundreds of foreignflag vessels transit the Seaway locks at Massena every year. and because many of them are from Soviet bloc nations. the Corporations personnel are always mindful of the fact that such occurrences could happen. although this is the first such incident in recent years.
Keywords matched
Immigration