People wait in a line as they are organized to enter the U.S. embassy on the day of its reopening for visa and consular services in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco)
In the midst of the largest Cuban migration to South Florida in a decade, the U.S. embassy in Cuba is renewing its visa and consular services.
The embassy is set to start processing immigrant visas as the U.S. looks to aid in the reunion of families that were broken up in their quest to leave the communist-run island country.
The announcement comes on the heels of at least two dozen Cuban migrants being rescued from small boats by commercial cruise liners. The past weekend alone saw more than 300 migrants from Cuba touching down on the continental United States.
According to NPR, the embassy will process 20,000 visa applications, which would provide many more people with a legal and safe route to enter. In November, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol encountered Cuban migrants 34,675 times along the Mexican border, which was a 21 percent jump from October when 28,848 migrants were stopped by officials.
Efforts by the U.S. to quell migrant tensions with Cuba have been ongoing and officials have conducted several talks in recent months surrounding migration with Havana.
"Engaging in these talks underscores our commitment to pursuing constructive discussions with the government of Cuba where appropriate to advance U.S. interests," the U.S.Embassy in Cuba said in a statement.
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni introduce Phia, a fashion tech startup that helps users find price comparisons and discover alternative options for apparel
We go one-on-one with NBA champion Tristan Thompson to uncover how his latest investments in AI, fintech, crypto and web3 are scaling innovation and inclusion
An exclusive look inside New York City's Superbueno with founder "Nacho" Jimenez, who's Mexican-American concept has just been named the best bar in the country
New York Harbor once held half the world's oyster population. Discover how the team at Billion Oyster Project is racing to restore this underwater ecosystem
With satellites already in orbit, defense contractor L3Harris is standing by to accelerate Trump's executive order. We take an inside look at the technology
