Cubans kicked out of Havana

Published Friday, February 20, 1998, in the Miami Herald

Cubans kicked out of Havana

HAVANA -- (AFP) -- More than 2,800 Cubans living illegally in Havana have been returned to the provinces in accordance with a decree aimed at stemming migration to Cuba's capital, the Communist Party daily Granma said.

Since the law went into effect in May, 2,886 people have been ordered to leave Havana and 4,000 fines levied, the paper said.

Havana is home to 2.2 million people, or 20 percent of Cuba's population, and the island's recent economic crunch has led many to leave their homes in the provinces to seek opportunities here.

The law caused an outcry among the population but has been successful in stemming the flow from the provinces, the paper said.