奧巴馬將終止對古巴人的庇護優惠政策

U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday he is immediately ending the so-called "wet foot, dry foot" policy that let any Cuban who steps foot on U.S. soil remain in the United States without a visa.

Obama said in a statement that the 20-year-old policy was designed for a "different era."

"By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries," he said. "

Obama called it an important step in normalizing relations with Cuba.

The president said Cuba has agreed to take back Cuban migrants who arrive in the U.S. without permission the same way it has been accepting migrants whom the U.S. Coast Guard picks up at sea.

Obama said the Department of Homeland Security also is ending the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, which allowed Cuban doctors and medical professionals working in a third-world country to enter the U.S.

Obama said they may now apply for asylum at U.S. embassies the same way any foreign national would.

Former President Bill Clinton approved the "wet foot, dry foot" policy in 1995, when Cubans who were returned home after trying to escape were subjected to harsh treatment and more repression.

The U.S. and Cuba restored full diplomatic ties in 2015. Although the trade embargo against Cuba continues, hostilities between the Washington and Havana have eased substantially.奧巴馬總統星期四表示，他將立刻終止允許所有沒簽證但踏上美國土地的古巴人都留在美國的所謂“溼腳，幹腳” 政策。

奧巴馬總統在一份聲明中說，這個執行了20年的政策是一個不同時代的產物。

奧巴馬說：“我們採取這個步驟就是要把古巴移民和其他國家的移民同等對待。”

奧巴馬總統稱，這是與古巴關係正常化的重要一步。

奧巴馬說，古巴已經同意，將按照接收美國海岸警衛隊在海上截獲的古巴人一樣接收那些未經許可抵達美國的古巴人。

奧巴馬總統說，國土安全部也將終止一項允許在第三世界國家服務的古巴醫務人員進入美國的項目。

奧巴馬總統說，他們今後將和其他國家公民一樣向美國大使館申請庇護。

美國前總統克林頓1995年批准了“溼腳，幹腳”政策。當時，試圖逃離的古巴人返回後可能會遭遇嚴酷的對待和進一步壓制。

2015年美國和古巴恢復了外交關係。儘管對古巴的貿易禁運仍然在繼續，不過華盛頓和哈瓦那之間的敵對已經大幅降低。