Washington — In an exclusive interview with CBS News, a top Cuban official stated that Cuba’s government is open to accepting more deportation flights of Cuban migrants from the U.S., who have been arriving at the southern border in record numbers over the past three years.
After a two-year pause, deportation flights to Cuba from the U.S. resumed last year, with one flight carrying deportees to Havana each month. However, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío expressed Cuba’s willingness to accommodate more than one flight per month during his visit to Washington for migration talks with the Biden administration.
Fernández de Cossío stated, “We’re open to having more deportation flights,” as discussions on the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords continue this week. Despite the historical tensions between the two countries, they have collaborated on immigration issues, especially in light of the surge in Cuban migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Since the start of fiscal year 2021, over 450,000 Cuban migrants have been processed at the southern border by Customs and Border Protection. Fernández de Cossío attributed the exodus from Cuba to U.S. policies, including the embargo and the Cuban Adjustment Act, which offers a pathway to U.S. residency for certain Cuban migrants.
He emphasized the need for legal channels for Cuban citizens to come to the U.S. and urged the State Department to resume processing tourist and short-term visas in Havana. Fernández de Cossío also expressed concerns about potential additional U.S. sanctions if former President Trump is re-elected.
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