VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUB #0694 3211806
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171806Z NOV 09
FM USINT HAVANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS HAVANA 000694 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CCA, PRM/A 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL CU
SUBJECT:  UNHCR HAVANA HEAD OFFERS A LOOK AT THIRD COUNTRY REFUGEE 
SITUATION IN CUBA 
 
¶1. On 4 November, RefCoord called on Alberto Aragon Cao, head of the 
UNHCR office in Havana.  Aragon, a Cuban national, has worked for 
UNHCR in Havana for 17 years and speaks English well.  He previously 
worked in the Ministry of Education where he dealt frequently with 
UNHCR on cases of foreign students in Cuba claiming refugee status. 
He supervises one staff member and their offices are co-located with 
UNDP. 
 
¶2. In recent years, UNHCR has referred  approximately 2- 4 cases to 
USINT per year and approximately the same number to the Canadian 
Embassy.  The number changes significantly from year to year, 
however.   Records show that in 1994 and 1995 there were 41 and 23 
referrals, respectively, followed by 6 years with no referrals. 
Although there are 14 other embassies with whom Aragon says he can 
work, if refugees do not have family elsewhere, he usually refers 
their cases to USINT or the Canadians.  This is for two reasons: The 
European countries prefer to accept groups and most of the cases in 
Havana are individuals; and only USINT and the Canadian Embassy are 
set up to process refugees in Havana, the others do the processing 
in their capitals.  In the past, Aragon has referred cases to the 
embassies of the UK, Finland, France and Brazil. 
 
¶3.  An Ethiopian refugee, who had studied engineering in Cuba on a 
scholarship and is now working, was referred by UNHCR to USINT and 
is scheduled to be resettled in Phoenix, AZ, in December.   Aragon 
expects to refer a few cases to USINT before the end of the year, 
and about the same number to Canada.   He currently has 12 refugees 
in country, including 2 from Eritrea he plans to refer to USINT. 
Many, but not all, refugees come to Cuba as students.  Aragon said 
there is no particular source country for refugees in Cuba, saying 
they come from all over.   For many, Cuba is simply the least 
expensive country to visit. 
 
¶4. Aragon reports that Cuba is not a signatory to any international 
agreements regarding refugees and Cuban law does not require 
protection of refugees or provision of first asylum.  But the GOC 
tolerates the presence of refugees awaiting resettlement because it 
respects the mandate of the UN, including protection of refugees. 
Aragon says, "They let us do our job."  The GOC will not expel 
someone once UNHCR has declared them a refugee.  Refugees are issued 
a document permitting them to stay, are required to check in with 
Cuban Immigration every two weeks but generally are not allowed to 
work.  (The Ethiopian was working before he applied for UNHCR 
protection.) 
 
¶5. Unlike other locations around the world, UNHCR cannot rely on 
NGOs or churches to help support refugees awaiting resettlement.  By 
agreement with the GOC, NGOs have limited functions in Cuba which 
they do not want to exceed.  For their part, churches lack the 
resources needed to provide support services.  Therefore, UNHCR must 
cover living expenses for refugees.   When medical services are 
necessary, Red  Cross helps facilitate care at specific hospitals 
set up to handle foreigners.  If there are dependent children who 
need to attend school, the GOC has allowed them to attend certain 
schools in Havana which are accustomed to accommodating foreign 
students.  Aragon noted that the law says all children have the 
right to education, not all Cuban children.  Meeting medical and 
educational needs through informal or ad hoc arrangements is 
precarious and Aragon wishes it were otherwise.  Nonetheless, he 
said, the job always gets done and the GOC has always delivered. 
 
¶6.   When asked if he had any questions about USINT's in-country 
refugee program, Aragon said he knows about it but does not need to 
know details.  He is often asked about our program at public events, 
but demurs. 
 
Farrar