According to Méndez Mayedo, head of Identification, Immigration and Migration of the Ministry of the Interior of the island, they are comprehensive legislations, which want to give continuity to the decision to update them and adapt them to the Cuban immigration process, in addition to international practices.

They do not only include Cubans established in other nations, they also include provisions for all residents in the country, foreigners and various organizations, he explained during a conference at the International Press Center.

They are the result of four years of work, he stressed, and pointed out that next July the National Assembly of People’s Power (Parliament) will analyze them as part of a process that could conclude with the implementation of the regulations at the beginning of 2025.

He also stated that since their publication on various platforms, including the Parliament’s official website, the projects have generated a lot of interest and a variety of suggestions or opinions.

One of the most discussed topics, he said, is that of effective residence, about which he pointed out that the new proposal endorses the orderly entry and exit, plus the inclusion of Cubans in the economic dynamics of the country.

On the other hand, he noted, “it guarantees the objectivity of information about people residing in Cuba and abroad, which could impact public policies and reduce costs for the national economy.”

“It also eliminates the 24-month period spent abroad and, as a consequence, the designation of a migrant for this reason,” he said.

“Norms are incorporated that provide answers to the challenges of determining the residence of Cubans and, in turn, the exercise of the rights related to the availability of their assets in the national territory,” the official stressed.

We must avoid manipulations of this issue. No one, because they live abroad, loses their home, their car or other property. There is no reference in the projects against what I affirm. We are categorical about that, he insisted.

At the same time, he considered the projects resolved, because they are proposed in complicated economic and migratory conditions in the Caribbean nation.

In 1972, the Immigration Law was enacted, the regulations of which were published in 1978 and were one of the most relevant changes regarding this policy in Cuba.

Four decades later, in 2012, an updating process began through several decrees, prior to several modifications introduced in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

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