Ecuador Believes USA Encourages Cuban Irregular Migration

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador has reported that the immigration policies applied by the United States to Cuba are factors that today encourage the illegal migration of citizens from the Caribbean island. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility expressed its concern in an official statement after facing attempts of illegal immigrants trying to reach U.S. territory from many South American and Central American nations.

It is necessary to clearly identify the factors that have generated and encouraged this crisis, particularly the U.S. immigration policy, through the "Cuban Adjustment Act of 1996" and the executive review, in 1995,of the 'dry feet-wet feet policy', an official statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.

According to the document, this legal framework is a permanent incentive to the incessant and risky flow of Cubans going through these regions' countries to reach any of the U.S. border points.

"Ecuador calls on all countries involved in this immigration crisis to adopt joint measures. This crisis has been severely affecting the human rights of people in a situation of extreme vulnerability," the text says.

"The 'sui generis' demand that Ecuador facilitate the transfer to a third country of people who do not want to stay in Ecuador, means that the Ecuadorian State is a partner in irregular migration processes, which is unprecedented and is not the responsibility of our government," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility stated that thousands of Cuban citizens have benefited from the granting of visas and permanent residence in Ecuador in recent years.

On July 9th, 11th and 13th, three groups of 29, 46 and 47 Cuban citizens, respectively, were deported to Cuba.

All of them were part of a larger group that for several weeks camped in many public places in Quito, demanding that authorities facilitate them in reaching U.S. territory via Mexico.

They were encouraged by Washington policies that promote irregular migration.

The Cuban ambassador to Quito, Rafael Dausa, said in a news conference yesterday that all these people had left the island legally and none had faced any political charges in Cuba.

He also blamed the U.S. policy for the current irregular migration, which harms several Latin American nations.

Cuba through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reiterated its commitment to legal, safe and orderly migration, as well as the possibility of returning to Cuba for those citizens who have legally left the country and comply with the immigration legislation in force.