More than 200 refugees who reached Cuba on the Portuguese vessel S.S. San Thome and were held on the ship outside of Havana harbor for ten days pending clarification of their status, were permitted yesterday to disembark as a result of intervention with high Cuban authorities by the American Joint Distribution Committee, the Joint Relief Committee of Havana and American and British diplomatic representatives here.
The refugees, all of whom had Cuban visas, were detained on the steamer as a result of the new Cuban immigration law passed while the San Thome was on the high seas. The law provides for a ban on immigration to Cuba of natives or citizens of enemy or enemy-occupied countries and automatically cancelled all Cuban visas held by refugees in these categories.
President Batista, informed about the situation, took a personal interest in the case and was reported today to have indicated to Premier Saladrigas yesterday that he favored allowing the refugee passengers to disembark. The refugees were then permitted to land and were taken to the Tiscornia immigration station for the usual examination by medical and immigration inspectors, after which they will have the same status as all other refugees in Cuba.
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