Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Deputy Foreign Minister

Havana, Nov 15 (RHC) The Cuban government reiterated Tuesday to the United States its concern over measures that encourage illegal migration and put human life at risk, said Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio.

During a meeting with the press at the end of the bilateral migration talks held in Havana, the head of the Cuban delegation warned that the differential treatment of nationals arriving at the southern border of that country, and the validity and application of the Cuban Adjustment Act encourage such irregular departures.

In the meeting, headed on the U.S. side by Emily Mendrala, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, it was also emphasized that the impact of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade and its reinforcement in recent years cannot be ignored.

"There is no doubt that a policy aimed at depressing the standard of living of the population constitutes a direct stimulus to emigration", said the vice-chancellor.

He said the talks - the second to take place this year after those held in Washington DC in April - will help in the implementation of agreements between the two countries to prevent irregular, disorderly and unsafe migration.

The diplomat highlighted that both sides noted the validity and importance of existing agreements while ratifying the commitment to their fulfillment.

"We also recognized the steps taken in recent months to ensure effective implementation of existing agreements," said Fernandez de Cossio.

He added that they insisted on the urgency of preventing problems such as human trafficking and other criminal practices that put lives at risk.

The Vice Minister said that they also discussed the risks of irregular migration by sea "and its serious danger in operations that sometimes involve children and elderly people".

Fernandez de Cossio also said that the announcement that on January 4, 2023, the United States will fully reestablish visa processing services for migrants at its embassy in Havana was welcomed as good news.