Cuba Ratifies Commitment to Right of Cubans to Emigrate

The Cuban Government ratified its commitment to the right of its citizens to emigrate, a universal phenomenon that is normally present in this country, thanks to measures adopted exactly four years ago today.

Elimination by the Cuban authorities of a permit to leave the country and an invitation letter, made easier for those who have an ordinary passport, the possibility to travel abroad and return if they wanted to.

Just a minority of them stayed subject to special regulations to leave the country, something they can do, but with due authorization, and Cubans can spend up to 24 months out of their country of origin without losing their condition as residents in Cuba.

According to data provided by the Foreign Ministry, 671,000 Cubans have traveled abroad since the migratory policy was updated, with 78 percent of them traveling for the first time and 45 percent who have already returned.

Contrary to the image imposed by some media outlets, emigration is not an exclusive phenomenon to Cuba, the rates of which are far from being the highest in the world and even in the region, according to official sources.

The United States is the main destination of Cuban emigrants, who are just four percent of the Hispanic people that live in that country, where Mexicans are 64 percent of the Latin American population.