Washington announces arrangements on migration of Cubans
The United States has announced a plan to grant 20,000 entry visas a year to Cubans requesting residence in the US, in compliance with the accord signed with Cuba on September 9 in New York.
US State Department spokesperson Christine Shelly said Washington will expand the refugee status to Cubans, review the cases of Cubans who were previously rejected and also grant parole to adult, unmarried children of Cubans issued immigrant visas, as well as to family members who reside in the same household and are economically dependent on the persons authorised to emigrate to the US.
Regarding all Cubans currently being held at Guantanamo Naval Base and in Panama, the State Department official added that if they want to benefit from the new program, they will have to return home. On October 7, a group of 17 Cubans who requested voluntary return were flown from Guantanamo to Havana.
According to the State Department, a lottery system will be set up to make space for legal migration for Cubans without direct family links in the United States. Washington uses similar lottery systems to accept immigrants from other countries.
[From Radio Havana via Pegasus.]