Cuba and immigration

Recent Castro speculations have fueled concerns about an undesired wave of immigration from Cuba.  In his comments to the press, as reported by Reuters in this story:

White House spokesman Tony Snow advised people in Cuba and exiles in Miami to stay put and not begin a mass migration in either direction. Snow also declined to join early speculation among some lawmakers that Castro might already be dead.

A recent report on asylum grant rates reminded us that Cubans fleeing Castro’s regime enjoyed relatively favorable grant rates when seeking asylum.  But as we know from the Mariel boatlift of the 1980s, the U.S. government is less surefooted in dealing with throngs of of Cuban immigrants that are perceived as “undesirable.”

Snow’s comments also point to a rather unique concern in the Cuban context — mass emigration. 🙂

-jmc