Cuban regime postpones the enactment of immigration laws

The Castro government of the Island postponed the promulgation of immigration laws to control the external and internal flows of the country, measures whose approval was scheduled for the 2023 legislative calendar of the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP), which is coming to an end.

The legislation contemplated includes some very important ones such as the Immigration and Immigration Law and the Internal Migration Regulation Law, so this delay suggests that the authorities have had to carry out a strategic rethinking in relation to their immigration policy and the link with the United States.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minrex) indicated months ago that the Immigration and Immigration Law was going to establish the regulations for passports and international and internal mobility. However, this will be postponed until July next year, while the internal migration regulation law will be postponed until December 2025.

Some of the most anticipated aspects of the promulgation are those related to Cuban passports. The changes in the duration and elimination of the extension have already been in force for months on the Island, but citizens are waiting for the changes to be officially implemented to have the possibility of not losing residency in Cuba, even if they have been in Cuba for more than two continuous years. outside the island.

Cuban migration in recent years

The Cuban community abroad is waiting, as they see this postponement as a tactic by the regime to adjust its policies in an international context that is always changing, especially when it comes to its relations with the United States.

Official figures shared by the Joe Biden administration indicate that some 400,000 Cubans have emigrated to the United States in recent years through different means, while thousands of others have gone to other destinations such as Latin America, Spain and parts of Europe.

In total, it is estimated that 4% of the Cuban population has left the Greater Antilles since the COVID-19 pandemic subsided and the borders were reopened.