On December 4, 2024, representatives of Cuba and the United States held bilateral migration talks in Havana. Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío Domínguez headed the Cuban delegation and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Eric Jacobstein led the U.S. delegation.
During the meeting, the parties reviewed the compliance status with the bilateral Migration Agreements, the texts of which reflect the mutual commitment to guarantee regular, safe, and orderly migration. The Cuban delegation emphasized the importance of complying with the established agreements in a comprehensive and non-selective manner while reiterating its concern over the policies and measures to encourage irregular migration applied by the U.S. government. Cuba emphatically denounced the negative impact that the economic blockade imposed by the U.S. and its extreme tightening since 2019 have had on the living conditions of the Cuban population, factor has constituted an important incentive for migration.
In this regard, the permanence of the country on the so-called List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, the preferential treatment received by Cubans who illegally entered U.S. territory, and the validity of the Cuban Adjustment Act were highlighted.
The Cuban delegation reiterated the importance of fully restoring the processing of non-immigrant visas at the U.S. Embassy in Havana and expressed its concern and rejection of the growing number of incidents in which U.S. immigration authorities have offered discriminatory and hostile treatment against Cubans and Americans who legally enter the U.S. through its airports when returning from visits to Cuba.
Both sides recognized the strategic value of cooperation on migration issues and the contributions of these rounds of talks to the national security of both countries.