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| Caribbean |
| The Rush Was On - Almost Didn’t Reach Quoate For Issuing Cuban Visas |
| 2003-09-20 |
| SFGate.com via WND News that the United States issued the maximum 20,000 immigrant visas for Cubans as required under accords between the two nations is "a positive element for relations," the Cuban government said Friday. WTF are we doing? Rafael Dausa Cespedes, director of the Foreign Ministry’s North America Division, said in a statement that the news was "a positive element for relations on migration issues between Cuba and the United States." Cuban officials complained in April that U.S. authorities had issued only about 700 of the 20,000 immigrant visas required annually under 1994 and 1995 agreements. Juist how many The head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington accused the United States of "trying to create conditions for a crisis" by cutting back on legal migration. Here was a human rights sanction screaming to be taken against the crackdown. Would have made US a safer place and hurt Castro. The ultimate win-win. Officials at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana said the serious backlog in visa processing was due to stricter regulations adopted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. American authorities said Wednesday they reached the quota of 20,000 visas for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, qualifying Cubans who reach the United States may apply for permanent American residency after one year. Related U.S. policies call for most Cubans picked up at sea while trying to reach the United States to be repatriated, while those reaching American soil can stay. Dausa said that policy "constitutes a strong stimulus for illegal migration and for associated phenomenon, such as immigrant trafficking and the use of violence in attempts to immigrate." On Friday, a U.S. judge sentenced a Cuban architect to 20 years in prison for using two fake grenades to hijack a passenger plane from Cuba to Florida in April. Not sure whether this guy is a good egg or a bad egg. Doesn’t like Castro, but has violent tendancies. Maybe I would get violent after living in Havanan too. At least the grenades were fake. Maybe he can design a new rec area for the super max while he is in the jug. |
| Posted by:Super Hose |
| #1 Any bets that these were rammed through without any background checks and/or by shortcutting established regulations (like FBI and CIA checks)? |
| Posted by: GregJ 2003-9-20 11:25:18 PM |