Cuba: Checks and balances to protect against government employees taking bribes or giving favours for issuing exit visas to persons who have been deemed unreliable or been refused permission to travel, or both; whether records are kept of exit visas that would be accessible when a person failed to return on time; whether the issuer of the exit visa could be identified through a paper trail
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 18 January 2007 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CUB102202.E |
| Reference | 7 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Cuba: Checks and balances to protect against government employees taking bribes or giving favours for issuing exit visas to persons who have been deemed unreliable or been refused permission to travel, or both; whether records are kept of exit visas that would be accessible when a person failed to return on time; whether the issuer of the exit visa could be identified through a paper trail, 18 January 2007, CUB102202.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/45f1472234.html [accessed 29 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. |
Information about checks and balances to protect against government employees taking bribes or giving favours for issuing exit visas to persons who have been deemed unreliable or been refused permission to travel, or both, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) indicates that Cuban authorities often deny exit permits to citizens who wish to travel abroad, and that the "efforts [of those who want to leave] to circumvent the restrictions can prove very costly, whether it is the grave dangers faced fleeing the country on the high seas or the exorbitant bribes paid to corrupt officials to arrange travel permits" (Oct. 2005, 3). In addition, HRW's report states that
[u]nder Cuba's criminal code, individuals who, 'without completing legal formalities, leave or take actions in preparation for leaving the national territory' can face prison sentences of one to three years in prison. Similarly, an individual who 'organizes, promotes, or incites' an illegal exit can be punished with two to five years of imprisonment, while someone who 'provides material assistance, offers information, or in any way facilitates' an illegal exit, risks two to five years behind bars (Oct. 2005, 9).
Information about whether records are kept of exit visas that would be accessible when a person failed to return on time or whether the issuer of the exit visa could be identified through a paper trail could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
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 for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Human Rights Watch (HRW). October 2005. Vol.1, No. 5 (B). "Families Torn Apart. The High Cost of U.S. and Cuban Travel Restrictions." Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International (AI), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Cuban American National Foundation, Cubanet, United States Department of State.
