As Cuba reopens to the world, many of its own look to leave

For many Cubans, it is only the beginning of a long and often dangerous journey to the United States.Throughout much of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cuba’s borders were closed, making international travel nearly impossible.But as the island now reopens to the outside world and Cubans deal with worsening food and medical shortages, the impact of tougher US economic Cuba is still in the process of certifying Other Cubans have detailed similar journeys on social media. Russia is one of a handful of countries that does not require Cubans to obtain a visa to travel there, so some Cubans use the route as a way to cross into other countries in Europe, with the ultimate goal of eventually reaching the US.But in recent weeks, Russia has apparently begun to crack down on Cubans using the visa exemption to travel to third countries.In December, a group of 71 Cubans were denied entry to Russia and sent back to the island after “not meeting the requirements as tourists,” according to a statement from the Cuban consulate in Moscow. Pictures posted on social media by members of the group showed them huddled and sleeping in the bathroom of the airport as they awaited the return flight to Cuba.Meanwhile, Cubans are increasingly attempting the dangerous sea crossing across the Straits of Florida, which connects the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.The US Coast Guard interdicted 838 Cubans at sea in the 2021 fiscal year, up from 49 from the previous fiscal year. Since October, 410 Cubans have been interdicted, it said.On Saturday, the Cuban Border Patrol said they rescued 23 people and recovered the bodies of two others who had tried to leave the island in an overloaded boat.Cuban officials have blamed the US government for the increase in illegal immigration after the then-Trump administration closed down visa services at the US Embassy in Havana in 2017 following still-unexplained illnesses that impacted US diplomats working on the island.The Biden administration still has yet to engage with Cuba on migration issues, Cuba’s top diplomat for US affairs Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told CNN on Wednesday.