Cuba tells U.S. suspension of visas is hurting families

[December 12, 2017]  HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba told senior U.S. officials during talks on migration in Havana on Monday that the U.S. decision to suspend visa processing at its embassy on the island was "seriously hampering" family relations and other people exchanges.

Relations between the former Cold War foes became strained after Donald Trump became the U.S. President, partially reversing the thaw seen during Barack Obama's presidency.

In September, after allegations of incidents affecting the health of its diplomats in Havana, the U.S. administration reduced its embassy to a skeleton staff, resulting in the suspension of almost all visa processing.

"The Cuban delegation expressed deep concern over the negative impact that the unilateral, unfounded and politically motivated decisions adopted by the U.S. government ... have on migration relations between both countries," the Cuban foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement was issued after delegations led by Cuba's Foreign Ministry chief for U.S. Affairs Josefina Vidal and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs John Creamer met to discuss migration issues.

Many Cubans said they were heartbroken because they could not visit, or be with, their loved ones. While Cuba has a population of 11.2 million people, there are an estimated 2 million Cuban Americans in the United States.

The Trump administration also issued a ban on travel to Cuba and in October expelled 15 Cuban diplomats from Washington.

The Cuban foreign ministry said this had "seriously affected the functioning of the diplomatic mission, particularly the Consulate and the services it offers to Cubans residing in the United States".

The U.S. decision to cancel the visits of official delegations to Cuba was also having a "counterproductive effect" on cooperation in fields like migration, the ministry said.

A view of the U.S. and Cuban flags prior to the signing of agreements between the Port of Cleveland and the Cuban Maritime authorities in Havana, Cuba, October 6, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

On the positive side, both the U.S. and Cuban delegations commented on the drop in illegal Cuban migration to the United States during the talks as a result of past moves toward normalizing relations.

Obama, who announced the detente with Cuba nearly three years ago, eliminated a policy granting automatic residency to virtually all Cubans who arrived on U.S. turf in January, just before leaving office.

Cuba had asked for the change for years, saying that policy encouraged dangerous journeys and people trafficking.

"Apprehensions of Cuban migrants at U.S. ports of entry decreased by 64 percent from fiscal year 2016 to 2017, and maritime interdictions of Cuban migrants decreased by 71 percent," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

Trump said in June he was canceling Obama's “terrible and misguided deal” with Havana, returning to Cold War rhetoric, and his administration has tightened trade and travel restrictions.

He has however in practise left in place many of Obama's changes including restored diplomatic relations and resumed direct U.S.-Cuba commercial flights and cruise-ship travel.

(Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

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