USCIS Field office reopens in Havana and CFRP program is modernized | August 22, 2023
Dear Friends,
Last week, CDA released a statement applauding the reopening of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field office in Havana, Cuba, and urging the Administration to continue pursuing protection-sensitive migration policies, upholding international refugee law obligations, and promoting a policy of engagement and dialogue with Cuba. After five years, the reopened USCIS office will provide much needed support to the processing of Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP) cases, improve the efficiency and accessibility of the CFRP program for beneficiaries in Cuba, and bolster Cubans’ access to regular, streamlined, and safe migration channels. CDA emphasizes the positive impact of USCIS’s presence in Cuba, stating, “Providing pathways for Cubans to migrate under safe and orderly conditions, allowing Cuban American families to reunite with their loved ones, and rebuilding critical infrastructure in Havana are necessary steps to promoting humanitarian and national security interests, as well as supporting the Cuban people.” The statement is available in English and Spanish.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out CDA’s most recent interview with Paul Johnson, Chair of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) and Partner at FocusCuba Consulting, about the current state of U.S.-Cuba agricultural relations, engaging with Cuba’s agriculture cooperatives and private sector, Cuba’s food crisis, and more. Read the interview here.
This week’s Top Stories
USCIS Field office reopens in Havana
DHS announces efforts to modernize CFRP program
Cuba moves towards electronic banking
Continued Coverage
Cuban migrants continue to face changing policies and uncertainty
Mexico increases oil supply to Cuba
The views and opinions expressed by authors are their own and articles do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of CDA.
This week, in Cuba news…
U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS
U.S. will reopen immigration office in Cuba to tackle family-reunification backlog; Changes are coming to the family-reunification programs for Cuba, Haiti
On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the reopening of a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) international field office in Havana, Cuba after nearly five years, The Miami Herald reports. The move is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to expedite the processing of Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP) cases, including by addressing the backlog of approximately 20,000 applications, to enhance access to regular immigration pathways for Cubans, and reduce irregular entries, according to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. The USCIS field office in Havana will play a crucial role in processing various immigration cases including immigrant visas, CFRP cases, and petitions by refugees and asylees in the US seeking to bring close relatives to the United States. Processing refugee petitions and collecting biometric data for visa applications will also be provided on a limited basis.
The CFRP program, established in 2007, allows eligible U.S. citizens or permanent residents to apply for parole for family members in Cuba so that they may come to the U.S. without waiting for immigrant visas. While the CFRP program was not terminated under the Trump administration, all CRFP processing in Cuba was suspended in 2017 due to a reduction in staff at the U.S. Embassy in Havana in response to the first reports of unexplained health incidents. Following the diplomatic drawdown, USCIS field offices in Havana were closed in December 2018 as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to curb refugee admittance into the US. Skeletal staffing at the U.S. Embassy in Havana generated a massive backlog of CFRP applications as well as an estimated 91,000 immigrant visa applications. CFRP processing resumed in September 2022.
Last week, DHS announced measures to modernize and streamline the CFRP program, noting that “interview capacity limitations in Cuba, resource constraints within DHS and [the State Department], and the pending application caseload have made the process inefficient and inaccessible to many beneficiaries in Cuba.” Aimed at improving the efficiency and accessibility of the application process, most of the application process for these programs will now be conducted virtually. Applicants will only be required to be in person for a medical examination and parole determination. Additionally, applicants will no longer need to attend interviews in their home countries, enabling them to apply from other locations. Following the closure of the USCIS office in Havana, Cuban citizens seeking consular services related to the United States have had to use alternative channels, such as by traveling to U.S. embassies or consulates in other countries.
The expansion of services is also part of the gradual reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, which resumed full immigrant visa processing and consular services in January after five years. Non-immigrant visas continue to be outsourced to U.S. embassies in other countries. Despite no recent reports of unexplained health incidents, there is currently no exact date for reinstating the full range of consular services at the U.S. Embassy in Havana.
What are Cuba's private entrepreneurs importing from the United States? Take a look
According to data compiled by the U.S. Cuba-Trade and Economic Council, U.S. exports of food and other products to Cuba in the first half of 2023 increased a total of 11 percent compared to the same period in 2022, revealing a concurrent increase in transactions between the U.S. and Cuban private sectors in the past year, The Miami Herald reports. U.S. exports of food and other products to Cuba in June increased 60 percent compared to the same period in 2022, with June 2023 exports to Cuba totaling $37 million compared to $23 million in June 2022. The data also indicates a growing trend of private sector-to-private sector transactions in between the US and Cuba, as opposed to Cuba’s government purchasing most U.S. exports to Cuba. The list of U.S. exports to Cuba has diversified and expanded over the past year to include a wide range of products, including organic coffee, cheese, coffee creamers, ice cream, chocolate, cookies, pastries, potato and corn chips, spices, popcorn, peanut butter, and maple syrup, among others. These products are primarily destined for the private sector, marking a shift away from the previous norm in which items like chicken, soybean, or corn purchased by Cuba’s state-owned agricultural foreign trade company, Alimport, dominated the list. According to U.S. Cuba-Trade and Economic Council President John Kavulich, Cuba’s government remains the largest buyer, however, the private sector is also engaging in purchases of products like chicken, soybean, or corn, albeit in smaller quantities.
For more information on agricultural trade between the US and Cuba, read CDA’s interview with Paul Johnson about the current state of U.S.-Cuba agricultural relations, engaging with Cuba’s agriculture cooperatives and private sector, Cuba’s food crisis, and more.
Cuba makes first-ever appearance in Little League World Series; Little League Dreams: Cuba's Road to Williamsport
This month, Cuba sent a team to participate in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, marking the first time a Cuban team participated in the international tournament, CBS News reports. After a 1-2 record, Cuba’s team was knocked out on the fifth day of the tournament. The participation of Cuba’s youth team in the US-based tournament is a result of efforts that began during the Obama administration, with Little League International (LLI) and the Federation of Cuban Baseball (FCB) working together to facilitate the Cuban team’s participation. LLI and FCB signed an agreement in March 2019 allowing young Cuban baseball players between the ages of 4 and 12 to play in Little League international tournaments and creating 170 affiliate youth programs. During the tournament, LLI and FCB announced the agreement will be extended through 2025.
Shortly after announcing the extended agreement, it was reported that one of the Cuban team’s coaches, Jose Perez, went missing, causing speculation that Mr. Perez defected. The phenomenon of Cuban baseball players, managers, coaches, and other specialists is not new: over 650 Cuban baseball players have defected to the US in the past six years alone. The last major wave of Cuban baseball players and team personnel defecting occurred in October 2021, when nearly a dozen members of Cuba’s U-23 national baseball team defected while playing in a tournament in Mexico. In 2019, the Trump administration prevented the implementation of a deal between Major League Baseball (MLB) and the FBC that would have allowed Cuban players to play in the U.S. without defecting from their country.
Updates on Cuban Migration to the US
Source: Elaborated by CDA with data from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
Since the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 began on October 1, 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has interdicted over an estimated 6,900 Cuban migrants–surpassing the total number of Cuban migrants in all of FY 2022. This time last year, seaborne migration reached approximately 4,440 Cuban migrants. Seaborne migration saw a steady increase in FY 2022, totaling more than the past five years combined; in FY 2022, 6,182 Cuban migrants were interdicted by the USCG, while the total number of interdictions between FY 2017 and FY 2021 was 2,927.
Source: Elaborated by CDA with data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
In the month of July, 7,486 Cuban migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees attempted entrance into the US, bringing the total number so far in FY2023 to 171,958 Cuban migrants. In comparison, total Cuban migration to the US reached approximately 177,840 migrants this time last Fiscal Year. According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in FY 2022, there were 224,607 total encounters with Cuban migrants and asylum seekers–a 471 percent increase from the previous year. “Encounters” constitute either an expulsion, in which migrants are deported to their home country or last country of transit, or apprehension, in which migrants are detained in the US, by CBP.
IN CUBA
Cuba bans company access to ATMs, limits cash transactions; As Cuba takes leap towards 'cashless' economy, entrepreneurs brace for impact; Cuban bankarization, explained (Spanish)
Earlier this month, the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC, for its acronym in Spanish) introduced a package of measures aimed at promoting electronic banking and commerce and reducing reliance on physical cash in light of rising inflation and a severe liquidity crisis, Reuters reports. The new measures place a limit on the amount that state and private enterprises, cooperatives, self-employed workers, and other economic actors can withdraw for cash transactions related to contracted goods and services. The limit of 5,000 Cuban pesos (less than $30 USD at the current exchange rate) per cash transaction also applies to paying salaries and employee benefits. Transactions above the limit must be carried out through electronic payment or banking channels. As published in Cuba’s Official Gazette, Resolution 111/2023 also requires economic actors, including state and private businesses, to deposit all cash income into their bank accounts the day after it was received. Economic actors may continue to sell products and services in cash; however, they will be required to introduce channels which allow customers to pay electronically. Natural persons are not impacted by the withdrawal limitations.
The announcement came as accessing cash from ATMs in Cuba grew increasingly challenging in recent months, leading to lengthy lines and shortages of higher denomination banknotes. Despite intending to alleviate cash flow issues, private businesses and entrepreneurs have noted various challenges resulting from the new measures. In the weeks since the new banking measures were introduced, some entrepreneurs noted that many suppliers, once open to electronic transfers, began demanding cash, fearing a loss of access to essential physical money. Despite adopting electronic banking, some entrepreneurs experienced increased difficulties in accessing cash for emergency expenses and purchasing dollars in the informal market to pay for imports. Moreover, there are concerns that Cuba’s technological and infrastructural capacity is insufficient to ensure consistent, accessible, and secure electronic operations. The situation has led to a sense of paralysis for some in the business community, with investments on hold while entrepreneurs await potential solutions to the problems created by the new rules. Some entrepreneurs also fear that these measures could dampen enthusiasm for private businesses, particularly those providing essential goods and services.
CUBA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Thousands of Cuban migrants face uncertainty in Uruguay
Uruguay announced new visa requirements for asylum seekers, causing significant challenges for asylum applicants, particularly Cubans, and leaving thousands of migrants in “migratory limbo,” Al Jazeera reports. Under Uruguayan law, asylum seekers are issued temporary identity cards, valid for up to two years with the possibility of renewal, providing them access to the workforce and public services while they wait for a final decision on their status. Asylum seekers can opt to change their applications from seeking refugee status to permanent residency at any time if they have the required documentation. However, in January, the Uruguayan government began introducing stricter regulations for obtaining permanent residency, requiring applicants to show passport entry and exit stamps from Brazil. The new regulation poses difficulties for many migrants who arrived in Uruguay through irregular routes, including an estimated 10,000 Cubans, as they lack these specific passport stamps and, therefore, the required documentation to adjust their migratory status. Advocates argue that the requirement for passport stamps should be reconsidered, as it places vulnerable migrants in a precarious situation. In addition, many migrants arrived in Uruguay before this requirement was introduced, further complicating their situation and leaving them in a state of uncertainty regarding their future in the country.
Cuban oil tankers becoming regular visitors to Mexican ports
Mexico has surpassed Russia as Cuba’s largest source of oil imports as Cuba continues to face significant fuel shortages and blackouts, Reuters reports. Vessel monitoring data revealed that in addition to tankers owned by Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Cuba is now using its own tankers to transport crude imports from Mexico in an attempt to increase fuel imports. Over the past four months, Mexico has delivered approximately 2 million barrels to Cuba, averaging around 13,000 barrels per day (bpd). Increased fuel prices internationally, crumbling infrastructure, and fewer shipments from Cuba’s main oil source, Venezuela, have combined to put the island’s reserves at critical levels. For over two decades, Cuba has relied heavily on subsidized fuel oil imports from Venezuela for power generation, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and cooking gas, at times relying on Venezuela for 70 percent of the island’s fuel. However, fuel shipments have decreased dramatically of late, plummeting from 104,000 bpd in 2012 to 55,000 bpd in 2023. Cuba has increasingly turned to Russia and Mexico to make up for the sharp decrease in fuel from Venezuela, receiving approximately 12,000 bpd of mostly crude oil from Russia between February and July of this year and becoming one of the largest importers of Russian fuel in Latin America. Mexico’s light crude oil is also easier for Cuba’s aging refineries to process than Venezuelan crude oil, making Mexico a favorable source of oil for the island.
Brazil to restore trade, political ties with Cuba, says Lula aide
Following a meeting between Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil has announced intentions to rekindle both trade and political relations with Cuba, Reuters reports. The restoration of trade relations with Cuba opens up new economic opportunities for both nations, with particular focus on Brazil's agriculture and manufacturing sectors, and Cuba’s healthcare and biotech industries. Prior to President Lula’s return to the presidency, Brazil and Cuba had strained relations in recent years. Following the impeachment of Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff in September 2016, Cuba’s government stated that it “strongly reject[ed] the parliamentary and judicial coup d’état” that removed her from office and proceeded to withdraw the Cuban ambassador in Brasilia in protest. Under Ms. Rousseff, Brazil provided economic aid to Cuba, including loans to fund the expansion of the Port of Mariel, in exchange for Cuban doctors working in Brazil through the Mais Medicos program. Brazil-Cuba relations continued to be strained under the presidency of former-President Jair Bolsonaro. Normalization efforts began after President Lula returned to office in January 2023, with both countries reinstating diplomatic representation in their respective capitals.
RECOMMENDED READINGS & VIEWINGS
Little League Dreams: Cuba's Road to Williamsport, Belly of the Beast
Shortage of Cash in Cuba: Who is to blame? (Spanish), Glenda Boza Ibarra, El Toque
Cuba's economic crisis is worse than after fall of the Soviet Union, economists warn, Nora Gámez Torres, The Miami Herald
Cuba, the nation of crises (Spanish), Food Monitor Program, El Toque
Cuba records hottest month since 1951, straining electric grid, Dave Sherwood, Reuters
Water supply in Cuba: pending accounts (Spanish), Protected Person, El Toque
Eco-friendly bamboo bicycles hit the streets in Cuba, Mario Fuentes, Reuters
In Cuba, swimming pools are abandoned houses (Spanish), Alberto Milo, National Geographic
Sale of Houses in Havana: From less than two thousand to one million dollars (Spanish), El Toque
EVENTS
Miami, FL, Film Screening: Good Things Will Come, September 15
On Friday, September 15, the FIU will host a film screening and discussion of the documentary “Good Things Will Come (No Hay Mal Que Por Bien No Venga).” The brief documentary delves into the early 1960 Pedro Pan Airlift which saw over 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban children sent over to the United States by their parents. The focus is on the experiences of two of these “Pedro Pans,” Guillermo Vidal and Ricardo. They recount the traumatic events that led to their parents’ heart-wrenching decision to send them on an uncertain journey to the United States, as unaccompanied child refugees. Through their narratives, the film intertwines their parallel stories, reflecting on the profound impact this event had on their lives and what we can all learn from it today. The event starts at 7:00pm EDT. Register here.
Miami, FL, New Directions in Cuban Studies, October 18-22
On October 18, the Cuban Heritage Collection of the System of Libraries in the University of Miami will host its fifth edition of the multidisciplinary symposium, New Directions in Cuban Studies. This year’s theme is “The great challenges for Cuba yesterday, today and tomorrow.” The symposium will promote works of postgraduate academics on Cuba, with the purpose of spreading the achievements of the global Cuban diaspora. To apply, complete the application online. Deadline for applications is July 15, 2023.
Coral Gables, FL, Book Presentation: Transnational Cuban Networks of Exchange, October 20
On October 20, Books and Books will host an in-person book discussion of “Circulating Culture: Transnational Cuban Networks of Exchange,” by postdoctoral Research Fellow Jennifer Cearns. Her study delves into the meaning of Cuban culture and identity in a transnational context. Woven into her insightful analysis are evocative vignettes that portray the creators of a resilient and dynamic network—one that defies geopolitical boundaries and has withstood the rapid social changes spanning from the Obama-Biden administration, through the passing of Fidel Castro, and into the Trump-Pence administration. Jennifer Cearns’ work offers a compelling narrative that unravels the remarkable story of this enduring network and its role in shaping contemporary Cuban life. The event starts at 7:00pm EDT. Call (305) 348-1991 or email CRI@fiu.edu to register.
Miami, FL, Panel Discussion: Revisiting the War of 1898 and its Long-Term Repercussions for Cuba & the U.S., October 25
On October 25, FIU will hold a panel discussion focused on the impact of the War of 1898 on Cuba and the United States. Leading scholars Javior Figueroe, Marial Iglesias Utset, Kate Clarke Lemay and Taína Caragol will delve into how the aftermath of the Spanish-Cuban-American War transformed the United States and its newly acquired territories, how Cuba emerged as a 1902 nascent republic, and the growing ubiquitous presence of the United States. The event starts at 2:00pm EDT. Call (305) 348-1991 or email CRI@fiu.edu to register.
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