Pregnant Cuban woman detained in Russia faces deportation

A Cuban woman named Mercedes, who was 39 weeks pregnant, has been detained by immigration officials in Pervouralsk, Russia. The detention occurred shortly after a medical appointment, just days before her expected delivery date of August 19.

Following her apprehension, immigration officers confiscated her passport and transferred her to the Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Citizens in Ekaterinburg. Although she was briefly escorted to a maternity ward by police after experiencing contractions, she was subsequently returned to the detention center.

Her partner, a Russian citizen named Sergey, and her lawyer, Veronika Aleksandrovna Nikitina, have raised serious concerns regarding her welfare. They report that the facility lacks adequate conditions for a woman near childbirth and a newborn. The lawyer noted that Mercedes suffers from asthma and is being held in a room with smokers.

Sergey stated that the couple had attempted to resolve her immigration status through the Cuban consulate during her second trimester but received no response. It was later discovered that her migration card had expired and she lacked a valid work permit. Legal assistance has been sought from the Ombudsperson for the Sverdlovsk region to prevent her potential deportation.