Cuba's US Embassy resumes visa services after health scare closure

The US Embassy successful Cuba has resumed visa services 5 years aft they were paused owed to a spate of mysterious wellness incidents among its staff.

At slightest 20,000 visas a twelvemonth volition apt beryllium issued, chiefly to Cubans trying to scope household members successful the US.

The reopening comes amid a grounds exodus from the island, arsenic Cuba suffers 1 of its worst economical crises.

Consular services were reduced to a minimum nether the Trump Administration.

The services were closed successful 2017 pursuing reports of unexplained wellness incidents among embassy employees, which yet became known arsenic the "Havana Syndrome".

The syndrome was initially noted among US quality officers and diplomats successful the Havana embassy - earlier being reported successful different parts of the satellite - who archetypal began complaining of an array of antithetic symptoms astir 7 years ago.

Many theories down the illnesses person been present debunked but the afloat causes stay unclear.

The quality of resumption of visa services, announced past week by the embassy, volition travel arsenic alleviation for thousands of Cubans who are hopeless to spot their families successful Florida and elsewhere successful the US.

The measurement comes arsenic Cuban migration to the United States is reaching levels not seen successful decades. Under a bilateral agreement, the US volition contented astatine slightest 20,000 visas a twelvemonth to Cubans.

However, that is simply a tiny proportionality of those who are leaving oregon trying to leave. Border authorities successful the US recorded astir 225,000 Cubans entering the state illegally past year.

After 2016, the Trump Administration implemented a full raft of caller economical sanctions connected the communist-run island, pursuing the easing of the aforesaid rules by President Barack Obama.

Combined with the economical downturn from the coronavirus pandemic and economical mismanagement by the state, the system successful Cuba has been successful dire straits successful caller years.

The US authorities precocious announced plans to easiness pugnacious sanctions imposed connected Cuba by erstwhile President Trump.

Under caller measures approved by the Biden administration, restrictions connected household remittances and question to the land volition beryllium eased.