Cuban Refugees

Report Outline
Resettlement of Refugees From Cuba
Regulation of Flow of Cuban Refugees
Federal Effort to Ease Burden of Miami
Special Focus

Resettlement of Refugees From Cuba

With new arrivals dally swelling the number of Cuban refugees in Miami, public and private agencies concerned with their plight are putting on a determined drive to resettle as many of the newcomers as possible in other parts of the country. The Cuban Refugee Emergency Center in Miami is appealing for local sponsors outside Florida who would be willing to provide housing and jobs for Cuban families until they can become self-supporting. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Abraham A, Ribicoff, who administers the federal government's Cuban refugee aid program, is expected to carry this appeal to the Conference of Mayors when it meets at Miami Beach, May 13–16.

As hope fades for an early overthrow of the Communist regime in Cuba, a growing number of the émigrés are overcoming their reluctance to leave the community which is closer to their homeland than any other large American city. There is now general agreement that resettlement on a substantial scale offers the only hope of easing the human distress and the community problems created by the continuing flight from Castro's tyranny. In the months ahead, therefore, more and more United States cities and towns will be receiving contingents of Cubans for long-term, if not permanent, residence.

Meanwhile, the Kennedy administration, which has made emergency funds available to supplement aid given the refugees by voluntary agencies, is seeking specific statutory authorization for the Cuban aid program. There is increasing bipartisan support for legislation that would provide the funds and the organization needed to help the exiles establish themselves in this country without placing an undue burden on any one community.