LIVING AND SEEING LIFE IN CUBA DIFFERENTLY: A

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 HAVANA 000510

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/19/2019
TAGS: CVIS PREF SMIG ECON PINR CU
SUBJECT: LIVING AND SEEING LIFE IN CUBA DIFFERENTLY: A
LOOK AT USINT'S IMMIGRANT VISA AND REFUGEE APPLICANTS

Classified By: Chief of Mission Jonathan Farrar for Reason 1.4 D.


1. (C) SUMMARY. A non-scientific survey of the U.S.
Interest Section's (USINT) immigrant visa and refugee
populations demonstrates the strong role Cuba's struggling
economy and the desire of Cubans to reunite with family play
in motivating Cubans to immigrate legally to the United
States. The results of the survey confirm much of what we
already knew regarding the differences in the type of
applicant requesting refugee status versus an immigrant visa.
Refugee applicants tend to have lower incomes; higher rates
of unemployment; less access to higher education; fewer
relatives in the United States; and less access to hard
currency, the internet, and cell phones. The survey also
demonstrates the large role played by economic conditions
(even more so than Cuban politics) in motivating Cubans
applying for immigrant visas to emigrate legally. Both
groups were highly negative regarding current economic
conditions and refugee applicants tended to hold even more
negative views about future economic performance. See
paragraph 14 for the original survey questions (translated)
and raw results. END SUMMARY

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Methodology
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2. (SBU) USINT surveyed 247 adult immigrant visa (IV) and
100 refugee applicants on economic and political conditions
in Cuba. The population comprised of Cubans from all 14
provinces and the Isla de la Juventud, although 51.3 percent
of respondents were from Havana City or Havana Province. All
respondents voluntarily participated in the survey, completed
the survey without the assistance of USINT staff, and were
informed that the survey was anonymous, voluntary, and
unrelated to the applicant's immigration case. The survey
was not scientific and the population is not representative
of the greater Cuba public. In addition, a minority of
applicants may have responded according to perceived
expectations rather than actual circumstances.

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Demographics
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3. (SBU) Demographics for the respondents varied
significantly depending on the applicant pool. Although
gender was fairly evenly split in the overall population (51
percent female vs. 49 percent male),IV applicants were
mostly female (57 percent) and refugee applicants were
overwhelmingly male (68 percent). IV applicants also had
greater access to higher education. Nineteen percent of IV
applicants surveyed were university educated while only two
percent of refugee applicants had a university degree.


4. (SBU) Respondents averaged a monthly income of 369.10
pesos (25 pesos = 1 USD) although IV applicants tended to
have higher incomes. IV respondents averaged 384.83 pesos
monthly whereas refugee respondents averaged 259.05 pesos
monthly. Overall, survey respondents reported a 35 percent
unemployment rate with another 16 percent claiming
self-employment. Refugee applicants were overwhelmingly
outside of the official economy as 73 percent claimed to be
unemployed (47 percent) or self-employed (26 percent).
Nearly 43 percent of IV applicants claimed to be either
unemployed (31 percent) or self-employed (12 percent). These
figures are in sharp contrast with the Cuban government's
official nationwide unemployment rate of 1.6 percent and
self-employment rate of 2.8 percent.

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Motivating Factors
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5. (C) Overwhelmingly, applicants appear motivated to leave
Cuba due to economic and family reasons. When asked "What
are the main reasons YOU want to leave Cuba", the majority of
applicants said "family," although the survey revealed
significant differences between IV and refugee applicants.
Nearly 93 percent of IV applicants included family as one of

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their reasons to leave Cuba, while only 15 percent of refugee
applicants listed family. Applicants were allowed to respond
to all answers that applied, and of the 247 IV applicants
surveyed, 32 percent said economics and 11 percent said
politics were motivating factors. On the refugee side, 69
percent said politics and 22 percent said economics served as
motivating factors. COMMENT: Applicants were allowed to
write in answers which comprised four percent of total
responses for IV applicants and 11 percent of total responses
for refugee applicants. The majority of write-ins listed
"religious freedom" as a motivating factor to leave Cuba.
Post believes the actual number of applicants emigrating for
religious reasons is likely higher than reported for both
groups since the survey did not include "religious freedom"
as one of the listed responses. END COMMENT.


6. (SBU) The survey found agreement between the two groups
on the desire of OTHERS to leave Cuba. Of all survey
respondents, over 95 percent said the desire to leave Cuba is
"very widespread" or "somewhat widespread." Less than five
percent of all respondents believed the desire to leave Cuba
is "not widespread." Survey respondents also believe that
Cubans are generally well informed of legal emigration
options to the United States. IV applicants appear to think
Cubans are slightly better informed about these options than
do refugee applicants. The primary reason listed by both
groups of applicants combined as a motivation for others
departing Cuba was "economics." However, IV applicants and
refugee applicants responded differently. Seventy-nine
percent of IV respondents believe a principal factor behind
emigration is economic. Fifty-five percent of IV respondents
said that others are motivated by family and 25 percent said
that others are motive by politics. Sixty-two percent of
refugee respondents reported that politics is a primary
motivating factor, 60 percent said others are motivated by
economics and 33 percent said others are motivated by family.
COMMENT: The survey examined both why the individual
applicant wanted to leave Cuba and why the applicant believed
others want to emigrate in order to provide a more
informative response on the true motivations of Cubans.
Although the survey was voluntary and anonymous, applicants
were still keenly aware that their interview and immigration
claim was based on family reunification (in the case of IV
applicants) or political persecution (in the case of refugee
applicants). As a result, asking the same question in the
context of "other Cubans" may provide a more useful response
as to why the broader population wants to leave Cuba. END
COMMENT.

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Economic Conditions
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7. (SBU) Next, the survey examined applicants' opinions on
economic conditions in Cuba. The survey asked, "Have
economic conditions in Cuba improved over the past year?"
When examining both groups, 37 percent of all respondents
said the economy is "significantly worse" and 37 percent said
the economy is a "little worse." However, the individual
responses revealed significant differences between IV and
refugee applicant opinions. Sixty-three percent of refugee
applicants view the economy as "significantly worse" while
only 27 percent of IV applicants believe the same. Among
refugee applicants, 27 percent view the economy as a "little
worse" and 9 percent said the economy is "the same." Only 1
percent of all refugee applicants said the economy is "a
little better" than a year ago and zero believe the economy
is "significantly better." IV applicants are slightly more
positive on the economy with 8 percent indicating that
economic conditions are "a little better" and 23 percent
saying the economy is the same. However, the plurality (42
percent) of IV respondents said economic performance has been
"a little worse" over the past year.


8. (SBU) Responses to the question, "How do you expect
economic conditions will change in the coming year" almost
mirrored responses to the previous question for both groups.
The only difference is that IV applicants are slightly more
likely to believe the economy will be "the same" (35 percent
vs. 23 percent for the previous question) rather than a

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"little worse" (30 percent vs. 42 percent for the previous
question) in the coming year. From the entire survey
population, 35.2 percent expect the economy will be
"significantly worse." 29.2 percent said the economy will be
a "little worse," 28.3 percent said "the same," 6.6 percent
said a "little better" and 0.6 percent said "significantly
better."

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Shortages
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9. (SBU) According to responses from the survey, Cubans have
experienced wide-ranging shortages over the past year. In
total, 294 of 336 respondents (or 87.5 percent) said their
community had experienced a major shortage (water, food,
electricity, transportation) over the past year. Among these
respondents, 19.3 percent indicated that their community was
currently experiencing a shortage. Only 2.1 percent of
refugee applicants said that they have not experienced a
major shortage in the past year while 16.7 percent of IV
applicants said the same.

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Remittances
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10. (SBU) The survey also examined salary and financial
assistance from abroad. For both groups, only 15 percent of
surveyed applicants said that their salary was "adequate" or
"more than adequate." Refugee applicants were more likely
than IV applicants to find their salary inadequate. Sixty
percent of refugee applicants reported that their salary was
"extremely inadequate" and another 34 percent said that their
salary was "inadequate." Whereas, 29 percent of IV
applicants said their salary was "extremely inadequate" and
53 percent reported their salaries as "inadequate."


11. (SBU) When asked if the applicant received help outside
of Cuba, 74.4 percent of all applicants said "yes." IV
applicants were significantly more likely than refugee
applicants to report receiving outside assistance.
Eighty-eight percent of IV applicants said "yes" while only
37 percent of refugee applicants said "yes." Of the IV
respondents who reported receiving assistance, 79.7 percent
view this assistance as "essential" (48.1 percent) or "very
important" (31.6 percent) in meeting day-to-day financial
needs. Of refugee applicants receiving remittances, 75
percent believe the assistance is "essential" (53.1 percent)
or "very important" (21.9 percent). An overwhelming majority
of survey respondents (88 percent) believe that outside
remittances are "essential" (49.3 percent) or "very
important" (33.2 percent) to life in Cuba whether or not the
respondent receives remittances. Just one percent of all
applicants surveyed responded that financial assistance from
abroad is not important in the communities where they live.

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Internet, Cell Phones, and Radio Marti
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12. (SBU) The survey also examined Cubans' access to the
internet and cell phones and listenership to Radio Marti.
Only 19.3 percent of respondents said that they owned a cell
phone and only 5.3 percent said that they had access to the
internet at home. Refugee applicants were less likely to
have access to both; only 6.1 percent said they owned a cell
phone and zero had access to the internet. Of the entire
survey population, 27 percent of respondents believe that
"many" people in Cuba listen to Radio Marti. Additionally,
50 percent of respondents believe Radio Marti is a "very
trustworthy" news source. However, refugee applicants were
considerably more likely than IV applicants to believe people
receive news from Radio Marti and to consider it a "very
trustworthy" news source. Of refugee applicants surveyed on
Radio Marti listenership, 54 percent said "many," 29 percent
said "some," six percent said "a few," and 11 percent said
"hardly any." Of IV applicants surveyed, 27 percent said
"many," 33 percent said "some," 17 percent said "a few" and
27 percent said "hardly any." 88.2 percent of refugee survey

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respondents said Radio Marti is a "very trustworthy" news
source while only 33 percent of IV applicants believe that
Radio Marti is a very trusty news source. Sixty-one percent
of IV respondents said "somewhat" and six percent said "not
at all."

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Combined Results
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14. (SBU) Survey questions and combined raw results:


1. What is the main reason you have decided to leave Cuba?
Politics: 27.7 percent
Economics: 29.1 percent
Family: 70.3 percent
Other: 4.0 percent
NOTE: Applicants were allowed to mark all responses that
applied.


2. In your opinion, how widespread is the desire of others
in your community to leave Cuba?
Very Widespread: 59.7 percent
Somewhat widespread: 35.7 percent
Not widespread: 4.6 percent


3. In your opinion, what is the main reason others in your
community want to leave Cuba?
Politics: 34.4 percent
Economics: 73.5 percent
Family: 48.7 percent
Other: 2.6 percent
NOTE: Applicants were allowed to mark all responses that
applied.


4. How well informed are people in your community about
legal migration opportunities to the United States?
Very well informed: 25.2 percent
Somewhat well informed: 46.8 percent
Not well informed: 28.0 percent


5. How have economic conditions changed in Cuba in the past
year?
Significantly better: 0.6 percent
A little better: 5.7 percent
Stayed the same: 19.1 percent
A little worse: 37.6 percent
Significantly worse: 37.0 percent


6. How do you expect economic conditions in Cuba to change
in the coming year?
Significantly better: 0.6 percent
A little better: 6.6 percent
Stayed the same: 28.3 percent
A little worse: 29.2 percent
Significantly worse: 35.2 percent


7. Have you experienced any major shortages in your
community over the past year?
Yes: 87.5 percent
No: 12.5 percent
Currently: 19.3 percent (of respondents who said yes)


8. How would you describe your salary in meeting your
daily needs?
More than adequate: 0.6 percent
Adequate: 13.9 percent
Inadequate: 47.5 percent
Extremely inadequate: 38.0 percent


9. Do you receive financial support from family outside
Cuba?
Yes: 74.4 percent
No: 25.6 percent


10. What percentage of people in your community receives
support from family outside Cuba?
More than half: 22.0 percent
About one third: 19.7 percent
About one forth: 17.7 percent

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Less than one forth: 33.1 percent
Other: 7.5 percent


11. Do you have internet access at home?
Yes: 5.3 percent
No: 94.7 percent


12. Do you have a cell phone?
Yes: 19.2 percent
No: 80.8 percent


13. How many people in Cuba would you estimate listen to
Radio
Marti?
Many: 27.5 percent
Some: 32.9 percent
Few: 17.3 percent
Hardly anyone: 22.4 percent


14. How trustworthy of a news source is Radio Marti?
Very: 49.6 percent
Somewhat: 46.0 percent
Not at all: 4.4 percent
FARRAR