Mass exodus from Cuba ignited by Biden-Harris open border policy

This rueful joke has circulated throughout Cuba for decades: A foreign tourist, under the illusion of the advancements of the communist revolution, stops a kid in the street for a conversation.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” the visitor inquires.

“A foreigner,” replies the young Cuban.

Morbid humor has always been prevalent in communist regimes, from Czechoslovakia to the Soviet Union, from China to the once-prosperous Caribbean island of Cuba.

Those who have experienced communism firsthand, with its mix of horrors and monotony, claim it is a way to cope with the surreal environment.

However, the joke aimed at ridiculing Cuba’s dire conditions has now become a reality: Between 2022 and 2023, 10% of all Cubans have fled their socialist paradise to live elsewhere.

This equates to more than one million people, with the majority relocating to the United States due to President Biden’s open border policies and the ineffective performance of his “border czar,” Vice President Kamala Harris.

These individuals are not only ending up in Florida; a significant number are arriving at the southern border and entering without difficulty.

Last week, Juan Carlos Alfonso Fraga, the head of Cuba’s National Statistics and Information Office, revealed these dismal demographic statistics during a session of the rubber-stamp National Assembly, as reported by The Miami Herald.

Furthermore, the flight of 1,011,269 desperate Cubans contributed significantly to the island’s significant population decline. Unfortunately, this was not the only factor contributing to the decline. In 2022, deaths in Cuba far outnumbered births – 405,512 deaths compared to 284,900 births.

The island’s poor healthcare conditions, along with the prevailing sense of hopelessness that is dissuading couples from having children, have also played a role in reducing Cuba’s population.

To exacerbate matters, the country’s socialist leaders have opted to intensify central planning and crack down on the limited private sector in Cuba.

Since the communist takeover in 1959, Cuba has lost well over a million of its population. Prior to that, Cuba was a nation of immigrants, not emigrants.

For example, approximately 800,000 Spaniards migrated to Cuba in the first three decades of the 20th century, as per the Migration Policy Institute.

This trend followed the hundreds of thousands who migrated to the island in the latter half of the 19th century during Europe’s significant outward migration period.

Personally, 13 out of my 16 great-great-grandparents were born in either Spain or France. Angel Castro, the father of longtime dictators Fidel and Raul Castro, was another one of those Spaniards who migrated to Cuba.

Today, it is inconceivable for any European to consider emigrating to Cuba. Likewise, no individuals from other countries are seeking refuge in the Caribbean nation. Despite the dire political and economic conditions in Cuba having persisted for over six decades, the exodus from the country has seen a dramatic increase since Biden took office and initiated a mass legal parole program enabling individuals to enter the United States.

According to reports, around 645,122 Cubans have entered the United States under Biden’s program, with additional “gotaways” not included in this count.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) recently expressed concern about the situation, emphasizing the risks associated with not knowing the backgrounds of these newcomers. Rubio also highlighted the benefits being received by illegal entrants, which are inciting frustration among immigrants who followed legal procedures.

Observing the discrepancies firsthand, Rubio criticized the preferential treatment given to recent arrivals over long-residing immigrants. He recounted instances of newly arrived refugees being granted generous benefits, including those who have returned to Cuba multiple times within a year.

With a personal connection to the struggles of communism, individuals of Cuban descent understand the dire circumstances all too well. Nevertheless, the current situation, largely influenced by Biden and Harris, does not offer a resolution for anyone, especially not for the young Cuban boy in the referenced joke.

Mike Gonzalez is a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation and the co-author of “NextGen Marxism.”