NO BIG DEAL

Cuba has expressed no issue with Jamaica’s decision to end a special arrangement for visa-free transit for Cuban nationals come March 13.

The travel exemption allowed Cubans a 72-hour window to be in Jamaica for transit to a third country.

Rolando D’Avila, second secretary in charge of political and economic affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba, told The Gleaner that the decision to establish the waiver had been taken by the Jamaican Government and similarly, a decision to end it would also be Jamaica’s.

All other visa requirements for Cubans entering Jamaica remain the same.

Noting that Jamaicans are required to have a visa to travel to Cuba, D’Avila said that the move is not expected to disturb the bilateral agreements between the Caribbean neighbours.

“The relations continue ... . It was the decision of the Government of Jamaica in that time to give visa-free [transit] for 72 hours and they now decide to retire,” he said in an interview on Thursday at the Trafalgar Road, St Andrew-based embassy.

D’Avila said that the measure was shortlived, having been implemented just a few years ago.

“It’s very recently, maybe three [or] four years or less,” he said, adding that the notice of the suspension allows Cubans to adjust travel plans or take note of the March 13 end.

When asked if Jamaica had consulted with its Caribbean neighbour before arriving at the decision, D’Avila redirected the question to the Jamaican Government.

The Ministry of National Security issued a notice on Wednesday indicating that the visa-free allowance for Cubans would be discontinued.

On Thursday, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang explained that the move stems from an abuse of the travel provision.

In a statement, he said that Jamaica is being used by Cuban travellers as part of efforts to get to Central America.

The United States has complained about an influx of Cuban travellers who have been making their way to the US-Mexico border.

The security minister stated that over the last three years – and in particular, over the last year – there have been significant breaches of the visa-free transit arrangement by Cuban nationals.

For the period July 2022 to December 2022, tens of thousands of Cuban nationals transited Jamaican ports en route to Central America and did not return, Chang pointed out.

“We cannot allow Jamaica to be used as an illegal transit point, whether perceived or detected, for people nor contraband,” he said, adding that Jamaica continues to enjoy a positive relationship with the government and the people of Cuba.

When asked about the claim of abuse process, D’Avila said that Cuba is committed to regular, ordinary, and safe immigration.

“The Cuban government has no impediment for its nationals to travel to certain countries as long as they comply with the immigration regulations established by these states, in this case, the Jamaican State. Our country maintains close cooperation with PICA (the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency), the Ministry of National Security, [and] the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in case of immigration problems involving Cuban nationals,” he said.

Reacting to the announcement, Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Lisa Hanna noted that Cuba has been good to Jamaica over the years, adding that it was disappointing that the Government would take this route.

“If this Government’s ‘Doctrine of Doing Nothing’ continues, Jamaica will not only run the risk of destroying our enviable reputation of courage and activism in the international arena but will erode years of consistently approaching decision-making on principle ... which has served Jamaica well and brought desired results,” she said in a tweet.

Cubans have reportedly been emigrating in droves since their government reopened airports to commercial flights in November 2021 and Nicaragua has been the most sought-after destination.

Last November, The Gleaner reported that the Government was seeking to curb an influx of Cubans, who appeared to be using Jamaica as a transit point to Central America in an attempt to illegally gain entry into the United States.

At that time, Chang said that he was aware of the Cuban matter.

“There is concern that a number of them are using that facility to transit to Nicaragua and then on to the United States through the southern border,” Chang said then. “We are aware of the challenge, and we’re looking at how that problem can be corrected.”

PICA CEO Andrew Wynter also told The Gleaner that the concern over Cubans travelling to Jamaica for the past three years to secure passage to Central and North America was referred to the Ministry of National Security.

Hundreds of illegal migrants, including Jamaicans, take the dangerous trek from Mexico into the US annually desperate for hope, economic prosperity and safety.

Data provided by Mexican immigration authorities have also revealed a sharp spike in travel by Jamaicans to that country in the last two years.

In 2020, a total of 4,467 Jamaicans travelled to Mexico. A year later, arrivals surged by 68 per cent to 7,509.

For the first three months of 2022, a total of 2,929 Jamaicans travelled to the North American country.

On that trajectory, 12,000 Jamaicans were expected to travel to Mexico last year.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com