US-Cuba Migration Talks in Havana; coming changes?

Voxxi

Migration talks, which have been suspended since 2011, resumed Thursday between the United States and Cuba.

While much remains to be seen as to the talks’ outcome, they may represent a changing relationship between the two countries. An easing of tensions could make it significantly easier for Cubans in the U.S. to travel or send remittances to their home country.

Reuters reported that Edward Alex Lee, the deputy assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere affairs, led the U.S. delegation, while Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, the director-general of the U.S. Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the delegation from Cuba.

According to accords from the 1990s, the U.S. and Cuba are supposed to have migration talks every six months to discuss the movement of citizens between the countries. Reuters noted that talks are meant to review the issue of legal, orderly migration. However, talks have been forestalled since U.S. contractor Alan Gross was imprisoned in Cuba in 2011.

Cuba Migration Policies

Currently, the U.S. issues at least 20,000 immigration visas annually to Cubans coming into the country. During 2013, the government issued 24,727 immigrant visas and 29,927 visitor visas, which is more than double the number it issued in 2012.

The current policy is to accept Cubans who reach U.S. shores by boat, a policy that Cuban governmental officials have criticized as encouraging illegal immigration. Historically, this has been a major issue of contention between the two countries. The colloquially named “wet foot, dry foot” policy, however, dictates that potential immigrants picked up at sea be turned back to Cuba.

The Obama administration has stated that though they hope for productive migration talks, there are no plans to change that policy. Rather, the diplomatic talks are meant to pick up the agreed upon meetings to review “safe, legal, and orderly” migration from one country to the other, according to the Miami Herald.

Recent Changes in Relations with Cuba

Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba over the last decade have been fitful at best. In 2003, the Bush administration suspended the biannual migration talks; it took until July of 2009 for the talks to resume, though the past few years haven’t seen any substantial changes in immigration policies on either side.

From 2009 to 2011, however, regulations loosened on travel from the U.S. to Cuba, signaling a potential desire on the part of the Obama administration to repair diplomatic ties. Cuba also recently loosened its travel restrictions, which spurred its citizens to make some 250,000 trips abroad, according to Yahoo News. This comes as a positive sign for the large community of Cuban exiles living in the U.S., who are often disconnected from family in their native country.

Over the past year, there have additional signs of positive forward movement. U.S. and Cuban officials have met multiple times, according to The Guardian, to discuss direct mail services and emergency coordination between the nations. The U.S. state department noted that the talks in September of 2013, on mail issues, were “fruitful,” though no deal has been struck. The migration talks this week may also touch on postal delivery.

More recently, at the December memorial service for Nelson Mandela, President Obama shook Raul Castro’s hand, which was made much of in the media. Some suggested that signaled reconciliation, while others felt it was just a handshake.