[:es]Cuba Adapts Migration Policy to Present Times[:]

[:es]

Havana, Jan 17.- The Cuban government has continue to update its migration policy to adapt it to present times and guarantee it is legal, orderly and secure.

This commitment responds to a sovereign decision of the State and does not respond to foreign pressure, despite the hostility of the new U.S. administration measures that hinder the flow of persons between both countries.

January 14 marked the first five years since the enactment of transcendental changes in this field: a group of decisions established in 2013 to facilitate trips from and to the island and strengthen the links of the greater of the Antilles with its diaspora.

According to the established practice, this is a process that does not only takes into accounts the opinions of residents in the country, but also those residing abroad.

Competent authorities assure the measures implemented in the last five years worked normally.

There exists -recalls daily Granma- a long history of manipulation of the flows of persons to use them as a weapon against the Revolution, practice that has cost human lives and promoted the traffic of persons and cost human lives, the kidnapping of boats and airplanes, among other illegalities.

The government of president Donald Trump adopted unilateral and unjustified measures affecting the operation of its embassy in Havana and the Cuban diplomatic mission in Washington, under the alleged argument of acoustic attacks of which exist no evidence.

The U.S. State Department then reduced drastically its personnel at its embassy in Havana and immediately suspended the issuing of visas at its consulate, affecting directly the right of Cubans to travel and also, emigrate.

In parallel, the United States government decided abruptly to expel from its territory 17 Cuban officials of its Washington embassy.

This measure of eminently political nature, has a negative impact on consular services and will hinder Cubans residing in the United States to travel to Cuba, emphasizes the official newspaper.

The new procedures make even more expensive the costs for Cubans and their relatives and does not offer any kind of guarantee that the procedure is effective.

Despite that new scenario, the recent measures and those adopted in 2013 show the Cuban migration policy is continuous and irreversible. (Prensa Latina)[:]