Cuba Announces Draft Law on Migration, Immigration and Nationality

The bill will be discussed for approval at the regular session of the Cuban National Assembly on July 17.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez. (Source: misiones.cubaminrex.cu)

Cuba has just released a draft law on migration, immigration and nationality to strengthen relations with its overseas communities.

On June 28, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez affirmed that the draft law does not limit citizens' rights but continues to strengthen the solidarity of the island nation's people in the context of the complicated migration situation.

Among the provisions of the bill, the most notable is the removal of the 24-month limit on the number of months allowed to stay abroad. Thus, Cubans residing abroad will not lose their rights in the country, including the right to own property such as houses and vehicles.

The head of the Directorate General of Identity, Migration and Immigration (DIIE), Colonel Mario Méndez Mayedo, said the bill is in line with Cuba's political will to strengthen relations with its residents abroad, while helping to effectively manage residency and integrate diaspora into the country's economic engine.

The bill is not retroactive and would only affect people who migrate after the new law comes into effect.

According to the Cuban Interior Ministry, the bill, which will be discussed for approval at the regular session of the National Assembly on July 17, is expected to affect about 1.3 million Cubans residing abroad and could be officially implemented in 2025.

Immigration is a key issue in the Caribbean nation, where hundreds of thousands of people have left in the past three years. The Cuban diaspora has significant political and economic influence on the island.

Cuba enacted the Migration Law in 1972 and has amended and supplemented it many times.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/cuba-cong-bo-du-thao-luat-di-cu-nhap-cu-va-quoc-tich-276780.html