Border disputes

Cuba's new migration rules come into force in the New Year and the consequence will be to put the ball well and truly into Washington's court to do something about the US's ridiculous policy towards migrants from Cuba.

Into this breach steps the right-wing think-tank the Lexington Institute this week with a new report from Philip Peters, its vice-president, and someone who knows Cuba as well as anyone inside the beltway. He is full square behind a overhaul of the current policy and argues why cogently and comprehensively. You can read the full paper HERE. His conclusions are below:

• Repeal the Cuban Adjustment Act. The special
circumstances that gave rise to the Act in 1966
have long ago ceased to exist. Absent those circumstances,
there is no reason to give special immigration
privileges to immigrants from Cuba whose
motives are mainly economic. Repeal of the Act
would end the practice of effectively condoning
illegal immigration through the “dry foot” policy,
and it would undermine the business of alien
smuggling from Cuba.

• Repeal the special provisions in the Refugee Assistance
Act that provide refugee public assistance
benefits to immigrants from Cuba who are not
refugees. This will ensure that benefits intended
for refugees are not extended to Cuban immigrants
generally, who do not have refugee status. This
will end an abuse of the U.S. taxpayer and an inappropriate
use of the refugee resettlement program.

• Retain the policy of admitting 20,000 Cubans
annually as immigrants, pursuant to the migration
accords. This practice, combined with the return
of migrants intercepted at sea, has coincided with
a long period in which no mass migration events
have occurred.

• Retain refugee processing at the U.S. Interests Section
in Havana.

• Continue the family reunification parole program.
This program has proven vital to reaching the figure
of 20,000 immigrants per year. Since it connects
Cuban immigrants with family members in the
United States, those immigrants are less likely to
require public assistance.