Cuba Planning Immigration Ban to Ease Unemployment Crisis

Restrictions of immigration into Cuba are planned by the Cuban President General Machado in order to reduce the unemployment situation in Cuba, declared Pedro J. Cartaya, assistant Commissioner General of Immigration of Cuba, in an interview with a representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today.

Mr. Cartaya, who is here for a short visit, declared that the restriction plans which are now being studied by the Cuban president will probably not go into effect before the end of this year. In the meantime, he said, all immigrants will be able to enter Cuba freely as hitherto.

About 12,000 immigrants from various parts of Europe are entering Cuba yearly, Mr. Cartaya declared. About 2,000 of them are Jewish immigrants, coming mostly from Poland, Roumania and Russia. But besides these 12,000 permanent immigrants, an additional 20,000 season workers are coming into Cuba every year from Haiti and Santa Domingo. These seasonal workers, however, return to their home country after finishing their work on the sugar and tobacco plantations in Cuba.

“The contemplated immigration restrictions were made necessary by the economic crisis of the world. We hope that these restrictions will be of a temporary nature and that as soon as conditions in Cuba improve, these restrictions will be abolished. In general, Cuba needs immigrants, especially for the development of its industries,” the immigration commissioner of Cuba declared.

With Mr. Cartaya came Fiodor Valbe, the editor of the Havana Yiddish monthly, “Oifgang,” and of the publication “Estudiante Hebreo” (The Jewish Student) appearing in Spanish. He declared that the majority of the 12,000 Jews living in Cuba are in a poor economic condition, deriving a living from peddling and working in the various industries. Two thousand of the Jews in Cuba are Sephardim who came from Palestine, Syria and Constantinople about 25 years ago, the other 10,000 Jews are immigrants from Eastern Europe who came to Cuba during the last eight years. About seven thousand of the Jewish population in Cuba live in Havana.

“The economic conditions of the Jews in Cuba are so bad that five to six persons live in one room. Not being able to return to their native countries, they still hope for better times when they will make a better living in Cuba,” declared Mr. Valbe, adding that it is not advisable to encourage East European Jews to emigrate to Cuba.