Life in Cuba is difficult, there is a lack of almost everything. There has been a mass exodus for a few years now. The communist government is giving the island a new migration law.
Due to mass emigration, Cuba’s population has decreased by around ten percent between 2021 and 2023. During this period, a good one million people left the Caribbean state, according to information from the statistics authority ONEI in parliament. In addition, there is a negative birth rate. At the end of last year, Cuba had just over ten million inhabitants – on December 31, 2020, there were still around 11.2 million.
Cuba is going through a serious economic crisis. Food, medicine and fuel are in short supply, among other things. Inflation is high, the infrastructure is deteriorating, and hours-long power outages are part of everyday life. In addition to the US trade embargo that has been in place for more than 60 years, the inefficient economic management by the Communist Party is also contributing to the problems. The Caribbean one-party state is economically heavily focused on tourism – which has so far only recovered slightly after the slump caused by the corona pandemic.
The government’s authoritarian approach is also a reason for emigration. After rare mass demonstrations three years ago, hundreds of participants are still incarcerated – including the German citizen Luis Frómeta Compte. In total, human rights activists count more than 1,100 political prisoners in Cuba. The majority of emigrants are headed to the nearby USA.
New migration law
Cuba’s National Assembly passed a new immigration law on Friday that removes some of the hurdles for Cubans abroad. For example, they will no longer lose certain civil and property rights if they stay abroad for more than two years at a time. However, the law also provides that Cubans can be banned from leaving the country or returning to Cuba for reasons of “public interest”. They can also be stripped of their citizenship if they commit acts that the authorities consider to be contrary to the interests of the state.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
