Why opening talks on migration is not a "unilateral concession"

Yesterday the Obama administration proposed reinstating high level meetings between Cuban and U.S. officials to discuss migration between the countries—a channel of communication that was closed in 2004 by George W. Bush. The last such talks were in mid-2003 and had happened fairly regularly before then. Bush called off further talks when the Cuban government began denying exit visas to individuals that had been granted permission to enter the United States.

Of course, the announcement was quickly followed by a denouncement by the three Republican members of Florida’s congressional delegation (Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart) who also opposed the easing of restrictions on family travel, remittance and communications announced two months ago by the Obama administration. Their view is, again, that these kinds of steps are simply unilateral concessions to a regime without any intent to make equal or reciprocal changes in its own policy.

They are missing the point. Opening talks is not to benefit or bolster the Cuban regime, and would not have that effect. It helps the people who migrate from Cuba to the United States by attempting to coordinate safe, legal and orderly migration. Cooperation on this issue is incredibly important. Under the current system, with no cooperation or coordination between the two countries, scores of Cubans are killed while crossing the Caribbean in attempts to reach the United States. Earlier this month, one such case was highly publicized, as at least 4 and more likely 8 independent journalists and librarians from the island were killed in a storm on the water.

With greater agreement on issuing of visas, treatment of Cubans repatriated to the island, and perhaps even review of the Wet Foot-Dry Foot policy (as it stands, Cubans who reach Florida beaches/land are allowed to stay in the country, and those who are intercepted at sea are returned to Cuba), these Cuban lives will be better protected.