Cuba and the United States hold a round of migration talks in Washington D.C.
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Migration talks between Cuba and the United States were held in Washington D.C. on Thursday.
The delegations were presided over by Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Deputy Foreign Minister, and Emily Mendrala, Deputy Assistance Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
A media statement posted on the island´s Foreign Ministry website said that both delegations reviewed compliance with the Bilateral Migration Accords and the mutual commitment to ensure a regular, safe and orderly migration.
The note added that Cuba reiterated its concern over the measures adopted by the U.S. government, which encourage migration, prevent a legal and orderly migration, and create social and economic conditions that incentivize emigration.
Cuba likewise emphasized that these measures, including those associated with the extreme tightening of the economic blockade, lead to the loss of human lives and the commission of crimes such as illicit human smuggling, migration fraud, and traffic in persons, which affect both countries and the region.
The Cuban delegation insisted on the obligation of the U.S. government to guarantee the issuance in Havana of no less than 20,000 visas per year for those Cubans willing to migrate to the United States. This commitment has not been complied with since 2017. The Cuban delegation likewise emphasized that there is no reason whatsoever that could justify the continued interruption of that service in Cuba, thus forcing potential migrants to travel to Guyana to have their travel applications processed.
The Cuban delegation also reiterated that the United States should stop hindering and violating the rights of Cubans to travel to third countries in the region and called for comprehensive and non-selective compliance with the Bilateral Migration Accords.
