A Cuban individual shared a video recalling how authorities would force people living in Havana without proper residency documents to return to their provinces, likening this to deportations carried out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
"Getting a Havana residency if you were from Oriente was madness," begins content creator Lil Lemon (@lillemon_oficial) in a video that highlights the challenges faced by those arriving from other provinces in hopes of settling in the city.
According to his account, one way to change your address was to marry someone from Havana, although this wasn't easy due to biases against Easterners.
"As soon as you got involved with a Habanera and her mother heard you speak and realized you were from Matanzas or further east, it became an issue," he recounts with a chuckle.
He recalls that many relied on temporary permits to stay in the capital, comparing these to the U.S. immigration parole program.
"The permits lasted two or three months. If you were caught with an expired permit in Havana, it was trouble," he explains.
Those without regularized residency faced difficulties accessing certain services, including purchasing goods through the ration book.
"You couldn't shop at the store until you either married a Habanera or someone wrote you a work letter," he remembers.
The most striking moment comes when he compares the police checks of that era to the actions of U.S. ICE.
"You'd get caught by the Cuban ICE. You wouldn't go to jail; your punishment was being sent back on a train," he says, referring to those forced to return to their provinces.
However, he mentions that many quickly returned to Havana, despite the risk of being expelled again.
"They'd deport you on January 1st, and by January 16th, you'd be crossing the desert again," he jokes, drawing another parallel to U.S. migration.
Legal Backing for a Harsh Reality
Internal migration restrictions in Cuba were formalized in Decree 217 of 1997, which set requirements for citizens from other provinces to establish permanent residency in Havana.
Article 8 of Decree 217 imposed fines of 300 pesos and immediate return to the province of origin for those establishing permanent residency in Havana without authorization. For those staying in the capital after their temporary residency permit expired, the penalty was 200 pesos and mandatory return to their home territory.
In May 1997, the Spanish newspaper El País reported that approximately 2,000 people had been sent back to their provinces during the initial enforcement of these measures.
The decree was amended in 2011 to relax some residency requirements, particularly in cases of family reunification.
Shared Experiences of Deportation
The video has sparked numerous reactions from Cubans who claim to have had similar experiences.
"I was deported to Camagüey twice in the same week," commented one user.
"I was one of those, deported in my own country," a woman recalled.
Another user noted that people sent back to Holguín often began their journey back to the capital almost immediately upon arrival.
There were also those who questioned such restrictions from outside Cuba.
"I'm Dominican, and that seems quite strange to me," a user wrote, surprised that authorization was needed to move to another city within the same country.
One comment that encapsulates the sentiment of those who lived through that era states, "It's incredible to know we could be deported in our own country."
Others remembered the regionalism and biases against those from the eastern provinces, while some admitted they were unaware such situations had occurred.
Understanding Cuban Residency and Deportation Policies
What was Decree 217 in Cuba?
Decree 217, established in 1997, imposed requirements on citizens from other provinces wishing to establish permanent residency in Havana. It included fines and mandatory return to their home provinces for those without authorization.
How did people try to obtain Havana residency?
One method was marrying a resident of Havana, although this was complicated by biases against people from eastern provinces. Others relied on temporary permits, which were often difficult to maintain.
What were the consequences of not having proper residency in Havana?
People without proper residency faced deportation back to their home provinces and difficulties accessing certain services, like purchasing goods with the ration book.