Cuba: U.S. inflated cases of visa denials

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tue, Nov. 11, 2003

IMMIGRATION
Cuba: U.S. inflated cases of visa denials

HAVANA - (AP) -- Cuba on Monday accused the U.S. government of sharply inflating a list of Cubans denied permission to emigrate to the United States.

The Cuban government acknowledged that 196 Cubans had been barred from leaving the socialist island on U.S. visas, but it said a U.S. list of 636 such cases was riddled with inaccuracies.

Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Relations said that the number blocked was only about 1 percent of those who have emigrated and it said refusal to let them emigrate was based on Cuban law.

U.S. officials, meanwhile, said the names are part of a running list that goes back at least three years of people whose cases have been brought to their attention. Cuban authorities have not provided a response on U.S. inquiries of the pending cases, and unless migrants inform authorities at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana of their departure, there is no way of knowing if exit permits were issued.
(snip/...)
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/7231617.htm
(This story's from the Miami Herald)

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Havana. November 11, 2003



Cuba exposes manipulation of U.S. émigré list

HAVANA, November 10 (ANSA).— Cuba today exposed how the United States has grossly manipulated a list of 636 persons allegedly prevented by Havana from emigrating to that country within the framework of the bilateral agreement signed in 1994, despite having their visas.

The list in question was presented by the U.S. delegation at the last round of migratory talks on June 6 in New York, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

The list "has been manipulated in a gross and lying way by the U.S. authorities, accusing Cuba of violating the migratory agreement, the text affirms.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry states that the list "is plagued by falsehoods and bears absolutely no relation to reality." Of the total 636 persons, there were errors in the case of 414; in other words 66.2% of the total names included on the list.

Those falsehoods range from the inclusion of persons who have already emigrated, duplicated names, and citizens who "had not even been granted a visa."

The text adds: "179 citizens on the list have not initiated any kind of application in the Cuban immigration offices." (snip/...)
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2003/noviembre03/mar11/45manip.html
(The foremost Cuban newspaper)

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10 Nov 2003 19:42 GMT DJ Cuba: US Exaggerates Number Of Cubans Who Can't Emigrate


Copyright © 2003, Dow Jones Newswires

HAVANA (AP)--Cuba on Monday accused the U.S. government of sharply inflating a list of Cubans denied permission to emigrate to the U.S.

The Cuban government acknowledged that 196 Cubans had been barred from leaving the socialist island on U.S. visas, but it said a U.S. list of 636 such cases was riddled with inaccuracy.

U.S. officials presented the list in June during talks on immigration issues in New York. They demanded that Cuban President Fidel Castro stop denying the exit visas and let those listed go to the U.S.

At the time, Cuban officials said they would study the list.

Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Relations issued a statement on Monday saying that a study found errors on the list that "show the superficiality and lack of seriousness of those who created it."

It said that 179 of those listed had never applied for papers to leave the island, 90 had decided themselves not to leave, 87 had already immigrated - 46 of them before the U.S. list was presented - and 58 of those on the list hadn't yet received a U.S. visa.

It said 11 names were duplications. (snip/...)
http://framehosting.dowjonesnews.com/sample/samplestory.asp?StoryID=2003111019420003&Take=1

(The Dow Jones story seems a little more balanced than the Miami story.0

[DUreader]

1. Thanks for the compilation

[Osolomia]

2. There's been a steady stream of stories about Bush denying visas to Cubans

from Latin Grammy award nominees to Cuba's Trade minister which is utterly absurd to say the least. That's why, despite the travel ban, there's a steady stream of Americans going to Havana to sign deals because Bush won't let the Cuban officials into the US!

The USA doesn't have a moral leg to stand on and zero credibility.