The date has been set: on February 19, the second round of U.S.-Cuba immigration talks will take place in Havana.
Recall that the first session took place last July in New York, and the follow up discussions were postponed in December. According to the New York Times, Cuban officials aim to negotiate an agreement with the United States to slow illegal and dangerous human trafficking between the two nations. Bruno Rodriguez, Cuba’s foreign minister, announced the date and Havana’s intentions today (Washington has not confirmed the date publicly), saying that “part of the Cuban agenda presented to the government of the United States is a proposal for a new immigration agreement and solidifying cooperation in the fight against people trafficking.”
This is an opportunity to work together to protect migrants from the perilous journeys they sometimes undertake because of the disjuncture between U.S. and Cuban laws, and particularly problematic U.S. policy. Hopefully both sides can ignore some recent speed bumps in the relationship and pursue this mutual concern in February.
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