Already strained relations between the U.S. and Cuba took a turn for the worse in September when a number of U.S. embassy employees suffered health issues, which some believe were a result of “sonic attacks.”
As a result, the U.S. administration reduced the embassy’s staff dramatically, which in turn led to the suspension of most of the visa processing.
“The Cuban delegation expressed deep concern over the negative impact that the unilateral, unfounded and politically motivated decisions adopted by the U.S. government … have on migration relations between both countries,” the Cuban foreign ministry’s statement said.
Many Cubans expressed grief that they were prevented from visiting their loved ones in the U.S. It is estimated that about 2 million Cuban Americans live in the United States.
Traveling to Cuba from the U.S. was also banned by the Trump administration, while 15 Cuban diplomats were expelled from Washington in October. The Cuban foreign ministry said this move had “seriously affected the functioning of the diplomatic mission, particularly the Consulate and the services it offers to Cubans residing in the United States.”
According to the ministry, canceling official delegations’ visits to Cuba also had a “counterproductive effect” on cooperation in fields like migration.
On the other hand, both the U.S. and the Cuban delegation, which met to discuss migration issues, said past moves toward improving relations resulted in a drop in illegal Cuban migration.
Just before leaving office, Obama eliminated a policy which granted automatic residency to every Cuban who arrived on U.S. soil, something which according to Cuba led to people trafficking.
“Apprehensions of Cuban migrants at U.S. ports of entry decreased by 64 percent from fiscal year 2016 to 2017, and maritime interdictions of Cuban migrants decreased by 71 percent,” the State Department said in a statement.
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