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.
奥巴马总统星期四表示，他将立刻终止允许所有没签证但踏上美国土地的古巴人都留在美国的所谓“湿脚，干脚” 政策。
奥巴马总统在一份声明中说，这个执行了20年的政策是一个不同时代的产物。
奥巴马说：“我们采取这个步骤就是要把古巴移民和其他国家的移民同等对待。”
奥巴马总统称，这是与古巴关系正常化的重要一步。
奥巴马说，古巴已经同意，将按照接收美国海岸警卫队在海上截获的古巴人一样接收那些未经许可抵达美国的古巴人。
奥巴马总统说，国土安全部也将终止一项允许在第三世界国家服务的古巴医务人员进入美国的项目。
奥巴马总统说，他们今后将和其他国家公民一样向美国大使馆申请庇护。
美国前总统克林顿1995年批准了“湿脚，干脚”政策。当时，试图逃离的古巴人返回后可能会遭遇严酷的对待和进一步压制。
2015年美国和古巴恢复了外交关系。尽管对古巴的贸易禁运仍然在继续，不过华盛顿和哈瓦那之间的敌对已经大幅降低。