[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 2, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S5997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     U.S./CUBA MIGRATION AGREEMENT

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, today President Clinton has announced the 
conclusion of a new migration agreement with the Government of Cuba. 
This new agreement treats the more than 15,000 Cuban migrants currently 
detained at Guantanamo in a very humane manner, while putting in place 
safeguards to ensure that a similar flood of migrants is not encouraged 
at some future date. I want to commend the President for his decision 
to enter into, what I believe is a fair and balanced approach to 
handling the Cuban migrant issue.
  Under the terms of the agreement, Cuban migrants currently being 
detained at Guantanamo will now be eligible to be paroled into the 
United States, provided they qualify under United States immigration 
laws. Those paroled from Guantanamo will be counted in the annual 
20,000 migration ceiling set last September in the context of the 
resolution of last year's Cuban migration crisis. This will mean that 
people at Guantanamo who have been in limbo since last year will now 
have the possibility of getting on with their lives. To continue to 
detain these people indefinitely was really inhumane, but nothing else 
could be done for them until this new agreement was reached with the 
Government of Cuba.
  In contrast to the treatment of those currently at Guantanamo, any 
future Cuban rafters intercepted at sea will be returned to Havana. 
Cuban authorities have committed to accepting these migrants back 
without reprisal, and will allow for the monitoring of such individuals 
to ensure that this is the case. Obviously, any individual who might 
qualify for refugee status will be able to apply for asylum at the U.S. 
Interest Section in Havana.
  Finally, those Cubans who may successfully evade interdiction and 
reach the United States will be subject to the same deportation 
procedures any other alien would face upon entering the United States 
illegally.
  Mr. President, as you know I am in profound disagreement with our 
overall policy toward Cuba. I have said many times in the past that I 
believe that policy is outdated and ineffective and should be altered 
to enhance communications and contacts between the Untied States and 
Cuba. In my view this is the best way to facilitate the peaceful 
transition to democracy on that island.
  Unfortunately, President Clinton has not yet decided to alter the 
overall framework of our policy toward Cuba. However, I believe that 
the agreement announced today is one step in the right direction toward 
a more enlightened Cuba policy. I hope there will be many more steps in 
that same direction in the very near future.


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