an alarming pattern has been detected among illegal immigrants in Suriname. The recent arrests have exposed a route that leads from Cuba to Suriname. According to Minister Monorath, the victims are approached in Cuba before being brought to Suriname with a debt of $4,500 to $5,000. Up on arrival in Suriname they end up with people who provide them shelter but who also keep them trapped in a system that makes it impossible for them to pay off their debts. “Victims have to cough up $50 on a daily basis. In Suriname that is unaffordable which is why they remain stuck in a circle of debts and dependency. They keep paying a never ending debt,” said Minister Monorath. The authorities have identified and arrested several people who provided shelter to the illegal immigrants in order to exploit them. The size of the problem remains unclear. The minister claimed that it is not a large scale operation but that there is a revolving pattern of recruiters and local facilitators and no sustainable structures from Cuba. He pointed out that Suriname still has the tier 1 status when it comes to tackling human trafficking. This classification suggests that the policy and approach are in order but the reality raises questions as vulnerable Cubans keep getting stuck in a system that exploits them financially.