The tightening of the Dominican Republic’s measures for Cubans in transit will take effect on April 30. The rule, advanced on March 31establishes that travelers must have residence, citizenship or a multiple visa from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, or a State of the Schengen area, or from the Dominican Republic itself.
“This measure is taken due to the increase in cases of passengers of Cuban nationality not admitted, which generates inconveniences at the country’s immigration control posts,” explained the Dominican General Directorate of Migration in a statement made public this Monday.
“It is understood that it is necessary to implement more practical and effective immigration controls in relation to foreigners of Cuban nationality who travel to the Dominican Republic to another destination”
The note adds that, after analyzing and consulting with the relevant agencies, “it is understood that it is necessary to implement more practical and effective immigration controls in relation to foreigners of Cuban nationality who travel to the Dominican Republic to another destination.”
The escape route opened by Nicaragua last October 2021, when it stopped requiring visas from Cubans, is closing little by little through the increase in requirements from the passing countries and the closure of air routes to the Managua airport.
This weekend Magnicharts announced that as of June 30, it will end its operations between Cuba and Mexico, where it was making a stopover to go to Managua. just two days before, Viva Aerobus suspended its flights between the Island and the Nicaraguan capital, a jug of cold water for all those who had bought the ticket after having sold everything.
“We will not operate any more flights to the Managua destination from any of the routes that we currently flew, with the two flights on 04/09 (Havana-Cancun-Managua and Santa Clara-Cancun-Managua) being the last to operate,” he published in their social networks the Travel Portal agency.
Viva Aerobus connected Havana, Varadero, Santa Clara, Holguín and Santiago de Cuba with Managua, although the tickets were managed only by travel agencies that charged the outrageous price of $3,500 per ticket.
Before the Dominican Republic, Panama and Costa Rica also modified the transit requirements for Cubans. In the case of Costa Rica, which put the brakes on in February, the measure provoked strong protests in front of the Havana consulate. The country’s Migration Directorate announced the entry into force of the new requirement for Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans in order to “ensure that the different airlines bound for Europe and the United States can transfer these foreigners safely.”
“Changes in migration policy worldwide have caused differences in the dynamics of mobility of these nationalities, through the different air, land and sea borders” and, therefore, “other countries have adopted the visa application” authorities said.
Immediately after, Panama argued that it did not intend to do the same, but he suddenly changed his mind two weeks later when he announced the same decision, only for Cuban citizens in this case.
Before the Dominican Republic, Panama and Costa Rica also modified the transit requirements for Cubans
“The visa for passengers or crew members in transit is established as a requirement for foreign citizens of Cuban nationality who travel through the Republic of Panama, to another destination or return to their country,” said the new rule. The document cost 50 dollars and had to be obtained 15 days in advance, leaving all those who had a ticket on dates without margin in limbo.
After several days of chaos in front of the Panamanian Embassy in Havana, with the intervention of the Cuban authorities – who took the opportunity to stand up as defenders of their citizens against the countries that, according to their version, prevent an orderly migratory flow and lead to to the illegality of travelers from the Island–, Panama made the dates more flexible to try to manage the situation.
Copa, the Panamanian airline that connects the island with Nicaragua, also tried to facilitate ticket changes, but many Cubans were harmed by the untimely measure.
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