Is it true that Cubans who defected since 1959 for the U.S. are not allowed to return?

Question

and that the government would put them in jail for defecting? What about those who emigrated before the revolution and the American people with Cuban-born parents and grandparents? Can they visit Cuba?

Answer 1

They can most definitely visit Cuba. The government will not put them in prison either. As was mentioned, if they have a Cuban passport, they would return using it...otherwise, anyone born in the US or elsewhere would use their passport of birth.

Americans of Cuban-born parents CAN visit Cuba. Nothing will happen to them. But because of the embargo, the US has issues with any of their citizens travelling to Cuba and therefore need special permission/license for travel. It's not so much the travel that's illegal as it is spending money there.

And if anyone has immediate family in Cuba (among other circumstances allowed for travel), they have the freedom to go as long as they apply for permission for travel.

So if you are an American of Cuban descent and want to visit Cuba, you can go to Cuba. Cuba will not give you any problems.

And since 1959? Nothing to worry about.

Answer 2

I guess it depends precisely what you mean by defected. But if you just mean left Cuba illegally, no it is not true.

Most of the Cubans who leave illegally, are eventually able to visit.

Under Cuban law, the rest would have no problems. If a person is born in Cuba, they are supposed to return using a Cuban passport. If they are born outside Cuba, and have a passport from another country, they just use that.

(Under US laws, it is not legal for US residents to visit Cuba unless they have a licence from OFAC.)

Answer 3

My husband is Cuban and he left Cuba 5 years ago. The problem for him is that he needs a Visa in his passport to return to his own country, and every time he asks for the Visa to the Cuban Consulate they deny it to him (they consider him a traitor). He thinks they will allow him to go back to Cuba next year, but he can go there only as a tourist, he cannot go and live there again!

Answer 4

I was born in Cuba and left with my parents in 1971. At the time my passport was stamped Null and Void by Cuban authorities since I was leaving to come to the U.S. as a political refugee (which is how most of us left.) Those passports are not considered valid so I'm not sure how Cubans are supposed to use them if they ever return? (I'm a US citizen now with a US passport, but  was surprised to hear this.) I have some relatives who have visited family in Cuba without any incident. In theory, the Cuban govt. could detain us, but I'm not aware of it ever happening. Because the U.S. prohibits Americans from going there and has no relations with Cuba, visitors do take their chances. For example, if they run into legal problems there may be very little the U.S. govt. can do for them.