Havana, November 15, 2022 - Representatives of Cuba and the United States held bilateral migration talks in Havana on Tuesday. Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío Domínguez headed the Cuban delegation and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Emily Mendrala headed the U.S. delegation.
The parties reviewed compliance with the bilateral Migration Agreements whose purpose is the mutual commitment to guarantee regular, safe and orderly migration. Cuba reaffirmed its willingness to comply, as it has been doing so far, with the established commitments.
Cuba reiterated its concern for the measures of encouragement to illegal migration that the U.S. government maintains in force.
Special emphasis in this stimulus is the negative impact that the U.S. economic blockade and the extreme reinforcement measures applied since 2019 exert on the socioeconomic conditions of the Cuban population, a factor that constitutes an important stimulus to migration. Also constituting stimuli are the preferential treatment received by Cubans who illegally enter U.S. territory and the validity of the Cuban Adjustment Act.
The Cuban delegation stressed that irregular migration is associated with regrettable loss of life, as well as other phenomena such as smuggling of migrants, migration fraud and human trafficking. It drew attention to the danger posed by the activity of criminal organizations engaged in human trafficking.
The Cuban delegation welcomed the announcement of the full resumption of immigrant visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba as of January 4, 2023. At the same time, he reiterated the importance of the full restoration of immigration and consular services at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, particularly the processing of non-immigrant visas.
He stressed the importance of compliance with bilateral migration agreements in their entirety and not selectively.
(Cubaminrex)