Obama ends policy for Cuban migrants who arrive illegally

Washington: US President Barack Obama on Thursday ended a decades-old policy that allowed Cuban migrants who arrived illegally on US soil to stay.

In one of his final acts before leaving the White House, he scrapped rules allowing those fleeing communist Cuba and reaching American territory a fast track to permanent resident status.

Mr Obama said the move would “bring greater consistency to our immigration policy.”

“Effective immediately, Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally and do not qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal, consistent with US law and enforcement priorities,” he said in a statement.

The Cuban government welcomed the decision on Thursday, calling it “an important step forward in bilateral relations.”

Preferential immigration treatment for Cuban immigrants enticed millions to flee the island, fueling economic stasis and a severe “brain drain.”

Meanwhile, in the United States, the growing Cuban-American population become a potent political, cultural and economic force.

There are around 1.8 million Cuban-Americans today, including two Republican 2016 presidential candidates, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.