Cubans: Political refugees or not?

Connecting with Cuba

  • By Julio Ochoa
  • Posted February 13, 2007 at 8:01 p.m.

By Julio Ochoa
Are Cuban immigrants political refugees or not?
The United States government thinks they are and gives them special treatment, allowing them to apply for citizenship after making it onto American soil.
But political refugees aren’t normally permitted to freely return to the country they fled. If they go back, they could face imprisonment, or worse, assassination.
That’s where Cubans have their cake and eat it too. Once they get their U.S. citizenship, they can return to their country every three years.
A bill recently introduced into Congress would drop the three-year restriction and allow Cuban-Americans to return to visit family whenever they want.
That’s an erosion of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, some, including Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, say.
Others believe Cuban-Americans should be allowed to visit immediate family members whenever they want.
But does that fit the definition of a political refugee?
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Comments » 3

shooter writes:

A political refugee comes to this country to seek refuge from assassination or imprisonment for political reasons in his country,to return would indicate that the threat no longer exists or possibly never existed and the refugee status should be vacated. I do not believe that they should be able to return to Cuba.

EstatesDweller writes:

We are a very gullible breed. We are idiots, morons, mega stupid, you name it, that we are indeed. Think for a moment. How long has Castro been in power? To those that fled in the early 1960's I say OK....political reason.....but give me a break, c'mon, this is now 2007.....almost 50 years after the fact.....political?...nope... N.O. period. Definitely, absolutely, positively, astounding "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAY!!!!!"......opportunistic? you betcha!

seniortea writes:

The entire immigration mess needs to be changed and, perhaps, returned to the old quota system that worked for so many years. Now, illeagals are being placed in line ahead of those who follow the rules! That is not right!

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