Cuba demands U.S. compliance with bilateral migratory agreement
Cuba and the United States, on April 21, held a round of migration talks, headed by Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Carlos Fernández de Cossío Domínguez, and the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, Emily Mendrala.

Author: Granma | internet@granma.cu
april 26, 2022 10:04:11

Cuba and the United States, on April 21, held a round of migration talks, headed by Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Carlos Fernández de Cossío Domínguez, and the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, Emily Mendrala. During the talks, compliance with bilateral migration agreements and the commitment of both parties to ensuring regular, safe and orderly migration were reviewed. According to the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Cuba’s representative reiterated our concern regarding U.S. government measures that incite migration, prevent legal and orderly migration, and generate socioeconomic conditions that encourage emigration. Cossío also stressed that these measures, including those associated with the tightened U.S. economic blockade, cause loss of life and the commission of crimes including smuggling, immigration fraud and human trafficking, a situation that affects both countries and the entire region.

The Cuban delegation insisted that the U.S. government is committed to annually issuing at least 20,000 visas in Havana, for Cubans to emigrate to that country, a commitment that has not been met since 2017. Cossio emphasized that there is no justification whatsoever for eliminating consular services in Cuba and obliging visa applicants to travel to Guyana to submit their requests, also reiterating that the United States must end its obstructions and violation of Cubans’ right to travel to third countries in the region and demanded fulfillment of the bilateral migratory agreements in their entirety, and not selectively.