The Bahamas government says it is pausing the recruitment of nurses from Cuba
Bahamas Health and Wellness Minister, Dr Michael Darville, who paid a visit to Havana two weeks ago to review the current recruitment programme, told Parliament that the government will enter into direct employment contracts with Cuban healthcare workers who are currently in The Bahamas.
“Following discussions with the US government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, my Ministry negotiated new contractual terms with the Cuban recruitment agencies,” Darville told legislators during the 2025/2026 budget debate.
“After fruitful negotiations, we are prepared to cancel all existing contractual agreements and enter into a direct contractual agreement with Cuban healthcare professionals currently in The Bahamas.
“Those who agree to these terms will sign the new employment agreement by my Ministry and remain in [the] country for deployment across the Family Islands,” he added.
Last week, the Guyana government said it would be implementing new conditions under which Cuban health professionals will be employed as it plans to embark on the “aggressive” recruitment of foreign nurses to work at several new hospitals that are being built across the country.
“We’re recruiting people from around the world, not confined to Cuba but we’re working to ensure that people who come here from Cuba that they meet the definition because of what the US Secretary of State mentioned that the conditions of work here don’t run afoul of the requirements set by the United States of America,” Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told his weekly news conference.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have defended the Cuban health brigade programme after Washington announced the expansion of an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy that targets “forced labour” linked to the Cuban labour export programme.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this expanded policy applies to current or former Cuban government officials and other individuals, including foreign government officials, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labour export programme, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who left Cuba in pursuit of the American dream, said that the new policy also applies to the immediate family of those people supporting the Cuban programme.
“The department has already taken steps to impose visa restrictions on several individuals, including Venezuelans, under this expanded policy,” he added.
