Cuba: Update to CUB22292.E of 24 November 1995 on the penalties imposed upon return for those who have overstayed their exit visas or who have claimed refugee status abroad
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CUB30409.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Cuba: Update to CUB22292.E of 24 November 1995 on the penalties imposed upon return for those who have overstayed their exit visas or who have claimed refugee status abroad, 1 November 1998, CUB30409.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac8960.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Specific information on the penalties imposed upon return for those who have overstayed their exit visas or who have claimed refugee status abroad could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, information on the different types of exit visas issued by Cuba can be found in CUB28686.E of 24 July 1998.
General information on penalties imposed on some Cubans who have left Cuba were found in the following sources.
AFP and IPS indicate that under bilateral agreements signed between the United States and Cuba in 1994 and 1995, the US would provide at least 20,000 visas to Cubans wishing to emigrate legally, while those attempting to enter illegally into the US would be repatriated (30 Nov. 1997; 10 June 1998). In return, the Cuban authorities would not penalize any Cuban who had left the country illegally (ibid.).
However, in a earlier IPS report, John Hamilton, the American Assistant Secretary of State for Latin America and Caribbean Affairs, stated that he had heard reports of some Cubans losing their jobs and facing other work-related problems after returning to the island (3 Dec. 1997). An AP report stated that Thomas Gerth, the State Department's liaison at Guantanamo Naval Base, had received reports indicating that some Cuban had been the subject of reprisals after being repatriated back to Cuba (14 Jan. 1998). The Boston Globe reported that a Cuban who had left the country secretly with his family by fishing boat lost his job as a gym teacher "for deserting the country" (2 Aug. 1998).
Additional information could not be found among the sources consulted.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
The Associate Press (AP). 14 January 1998. Eddie Dominguez. "Cuban Refugees Remain in Limbo at Military Base." (NEXIS)
Agence France Presse (AFP). 30 November 1997. "More than 100,000 Cubans Apply for US Visas, Only Half Granted." (NEXIS)
The Boston Globe. 2 August 1998. David L. Marcus. "Legal Chaos Leaves Cuban Refugees Adrift." (NEXIS)
InterPress Service (IPS). 10 June 1998. Dalia Acosta. "Visa Lottery on Again." (NEXIS)
_____. 3 December 1997. Dalia Acosta. "Guantanamo to Give up Emigrant Interception." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report 1998. 1998.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. 1998.
Human Rights Watch World Report 1998. 1998.
Journal of Interamerican Studies [Miami]. 1997-1998.
Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1997-1998.
Latin American Regional Reports: Caribbean & Central America Report [London]. 1997-1998.
Electronic Sources: Internet, IRB Databases, REFWORLD, WNC.
