US, Cuba hold migration talks

CMC – The Government of Cuba has reaffirmed its willingness to comply with policies established in a bilateral agreement with the United States concerning irregular migration.

This was the outcome of talks held earlier this week in Washington DC, attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío Domínguez who headed the Cuban delegation and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Eric Jacobstein who led the US delegation.

The Cuban delegation reaffirmed its willingness to comply with and respect, as it has done to date, the commitments established and reiterated its concern over the policies and measures to encourage irregular migration that remain in place as a result of a political decision by the US government.

During the meeting, Cuba again denounced the negative impact that the US economic blockade and its extreme reinforcement applied since 2019, exert on the socioeconomic conditions of the Cuban population, a factor that constitutes an important incentive to migration. In this regard the following was highlighted: keeping the country on the so-called List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, the preferential treatment still received by Cubans who illegally enter US territory and the validity of the Cuban Adjustment Act.

The Cuban delegation also reiterated the importance of reestablishing the processing of non-immigrant visas at the US Embassy in Havana, a consular facility that would prevent the movement to third countries of Cuban citizens interested in this type of visa.

Cuba also pointed to the importance of complying with bilateral migration agreements in their entirety and not selectively, and reaffirmed its willingness to continue the rounds of talks on migration issues with the United States.

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