Cuba Announces New Migratory Measures

Cuba announced today new migratory regulations for its citizens, referring to coming in and out of the country by sea.

In a press release published today in Granma, newspaper most widely read in Cuba, the government made official that from April 26 onward,

Cubans regardless of their migration status, Cubans will be allowed to travel or enroll as crewmembers in merchant or cruiser ships to enter and leave the national territory.

The text reads that to access boats as crewmembers, resident Cubans must follow the procedures necessary through the established employment agencies.

Regarding the trips in recreation ships (yachts) it was decided to authorize them, regardless of the migration status of citizens.

The enaction of this particular measure will be announced as soon as conditions are created.

The traveling modalities approved for Cubans do not exempt them from the requirement of visa of the country or countries they plan to visit.

This was reiterated by the government in its regulations that, according to the reléase, are the result of the continuation of studies on the process of migratory norms approved in January, 2013, which updated this nation´s policy in that sphere.

The announcement of the new measures occurs exactly one month after the island´s enterprises signed contracts with the U.S. cruiser company Carnival, to start operations between both countries as of May.

Previously, on February 16, both nations signed an agreement for the establishment of regular flights between them.

In the present context of bilateral relations, says the note, there have been exchanges between authorities of both nations to approach issues related to the application and compliance of laws, on terrorism, navigation security of sea transport and traffic of persons.

Also it has been discussed issues on travel and trade, besides other topics related with the national security of Cuba and the United States.

This, it stresses, in order to promote bilateral cooperation of mutual benefit.

In this sense, it adds it will be important to advance in the concertation and functioning of mechanisms of bilateral cooperation in these areas, to prevent and fight terrorist actions against the island.

Such actions were the ones that originated the regulation establishing that Cubans residing abroad should enter the national territory by plane, a preventive

measure to impede the use of boats for carrying out the mentioned actions, stresses the text.

Despite the present scenario in Cuba-U.S. relations, persists the prohibition of American citizens to travel freely to the greater of the Antilles.