Cuba to adopt stiffer immigration reforms against Africans

Cuba to adopt stiffer immigration reforms against Africans
By Christabel Addo-GNA

Accra, March 25, GNA - The Information Services Department (ISD) On
Friday, issued a word of caution to the public, to desist from engaging
in any transactions with a travel and tour company dubbed "Travel to the
United States through Cuba".

The ISD in a press release explained this was a new business venture
currently operating in Accra and Kumasi where syndicates advertised
through the media and popular websites such as www.tonaton.com, with the
pretence of helping people to travel to America, only for them to get
stranded in Cuba with severe immigration complications.

Consequently, the Cuban immigration authorities had unofficially began
refusing entry to, and deporting African migrants immediately on their
arrival in the country, in spite of valid visas.

It said based on the information received from the Ministry of the
Interior, the Cuban Immigration Authority, was in the process of
adopting firmer reforms aimed at restricting the entry of African
migrants, especially Ghanaians, from using Cuba as an entry point into
the United States of America (USA), Central Americas and other Caribbean
countries.

The strict immigration reforms, followed interrogations of mostly
Ghanaian nationals and some Nigerians, who had informed Cuban
authorities that the country was being used as a conduit to the USA in
particular, it said.

The reforms were therefore intended to curtail the surge of African
migrants especially from Ghana since 2015, and to maintain international
and regional standards in human trafficking as well as migration flows.

In a related development, it said over 200 Ghanaian nationals were
currently stranded at the Costa Rican-Nicaraguan border post of Penas
Blancas, following their attempts to use the area to transit into the USA.

The Statement said a steady surge of Ghana migrants to Cuba had been
observed over the past year, especially following the commencement of
Turkish Airlines route to Havana in November, 2016.

The statement said most of the migrants were deceived by local
syndicates who claimed to have collaborators in Cuba, who could
immediately facilitate their entry into the US upon their arrival.

GNA

Source: Cuba to adopt stiffer immigration reforms against Africans |
Ghana News Agency (GNA) -
http://www.ghananewsagency.org/social/cuba-to-adopt-stiffer-immigration-reforms-against-africans-114779