After many fits and starts, Cuba and Mexico concluded talks on a migration agreement and announced that it will be signed next week.
The text has not been released.
It’s clear that Mexico wants to crack down on alien smugglers who bring Cubans to the United States through Mexico. To that end, Mexico wants to repatriate Cubans who arrive in Mexico without a visa. Initially, Cuba seemed amenable to repatriations, but only in the case of those who arrive directly from Cuba (nearly all of whom are smuggled), and not those who arrive in Mexico from other countries.
From press reports, we learn that Cuba eventually agreed to accept repatriations of Cuban migrants in Mexican custody, whether they arrived by sea from Cuba, or by land from another place. We’ll see how this is stated once the agreement is released.
The agreement also provides that the two countries will share intelligence.
Here’s coverage from La Jornada, AFP, and El Universal (October 2).
3 comments:
"Mexico wants to repatriate Cubans who arrive in Mexico without a visa."
Hmmm, how would the Mexican government feel if this principle was extended to the millions of Mexican citizens who arrive in the U.S. without a visa?
Little by little, Cubans are losing every available avenue to flee the dictatorship. What will this ultiimately mean? On the one hand, these crossings through Mexico are incredibly dangerous. On the other hand, we don't have many recourses. It's not as if a Cuban can get on an airplane and travel off the island on a whim, or easily emigrate.
-Anatasio
Well, anonymous Oct.15, 8:28AM, that principle is applied in the US every day. Thousands of Mexicans are sent back every week. If they catch you crossing the border, they send you back, if they catch your without a visa, they send you back. On the other hand, the US routinely sends back all Cubans intercepted in the FLa. Strait. They only reason the US does not send back the others is because of the dry foot provision. This does not exist in Mexico. At the same time, those smugglers are very dangerours characters. It is very risky. Be it through Mexico or through the the Fla. Channel. Mexico does grant thousands of visas to Cubans every year, and the US does the same thing. Yes, it is getting harder for Cubans to flee. But I know many hardline anti-Castro Cubans who don't want more Cubans here in the US. They are afraid to lose influence to the new arrivals once they become citizens. I think the Castro gvt. should depolitcize those exits and do away with the salida definitiva law. Among other things. Of course, nothing garantees that other countries would offer visas to Cubans.
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