U.S., Cuba to Start Negotiations on Reviving Immigration Pact

The United States and Cuba are expected to open talks on reviving an immigration agreement that Cuba suspended last year, the State Department said today.

“We expect to be meeting shortly with the Cubans on the status of the Mariel agreement, which we continue to hope will be put back in force,” deputy spokesman Charles Redman said.

Redman gave no other details, but other officials said the talks also will encompass Radio Marti, the U.S. government broadcast operation to Cuba.

The New York Times, citing Administration officials, said in today’s editions that Cuba is expected to agree to a revival of the immigration agreement.

Visa Applications

Under the 1984 accord, up to 3,000 former prisoners and their families were to come to the United States and up to 20,000 other Cubans were to be allowed to apply for U.S. visas annually.

The agreement also provided for the resumption of processing of visas in Havana despite the absence of formal relations between the two countries.

In exchange, Cuba promised to accept 2,746 “undesirables,” including prisoners and mentally ill people, who were among the 125,000 refugees who came to the United States during the 1980 Mariel boat lift.