Denouncing the human trafficking and forced labor of and profiteering from Cuban medical personnel serving in third-world countries.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 205 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 205

 Denouncing the human trafficking and forced labor of and profiteering
     from Cuban medical personnel serving in third-world countries.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 10, 2025

Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Gimenez, and Mr.
 Moskowitz) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
 the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on
   the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 Denouncing the human trafficking and forced labor of and profiteering
     from Cuban medical personnel serving in third-world countries.

Whereas the Department of State's 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report
        designates Cuba as a Tier 3 country that does not fully meet the minimum
        standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
        significant efforts to do so;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report cites Cuban regime policy or pattern to profit from
        forced labor in Cuba's labor export program, which included foreign
        medical missions;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report notes the Cuban regime kept a significant amount of
        wages of workers, confiscated passports and professional credentials of
        workers, subjected workers to surveillance and strict curfews, and did
        not consistently inform participants of the terms of their contracts;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report states the Cuban regime failed to address
        trafficking crimes despite an increasing number of allegations from
        survivors, credible nongovernmental organizations, international
        organizations, and foreign governments of the involvement of Cuban
        officials in facilitating serious human rights abuses and forced labor;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report charges that the Cuban regime threatened, coerced,
        and punished government-affiliated workers, including medical
        professionals, and their family members if participants left the
        program;
Whereas the 2024 TIP report concludes regime authorities did not make efforts to
        address labor trafficking crimes;
Whereas the June 2024 report by the Department of State to Congress, ``Human
        Trafficking In Cuba's Labor Export Program'', as mandated by section
        7045(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related
        Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47), cites sources
        that estimate the Cuban regime reaps annual profits of between
        $6,000,000,000 and $8,000,000,000 from the labor export program;
Whereas the June 2024 report by the Department of State to Congress lists 72
        countries that may have had government-affiliated Cuban workers in their
        territories in the last 5 years;
Whereas the June 2024 report by the Department of State to Congress states that
        host governments should use transparent and fair recruitment practices
        in the hiring of foreign workers and have a responsibility to
        proactively identify victims of exploitation and human trafficking in
        their country, and to protect such victims from further exploitation,
        yet Cuba maintains overwhelming levels of control over its workers
        deployed abroad;
Whereas foreign governments continue to rebuff diplomatic efforts of the United
        States to ensure the protection of Cuban medical personnel working
        within their territories;
Whereas section 7045(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
        Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47), states
        that the Secretary of State shall apply the requirements of section
        7031(c) of this Act (visa revocation authorities) to officials from
        countries and organizations identified in the June 24 report; and
Whereas the Department of State has acknowledged that in Brazil, the Cuban
        medical mission, known as ``Mais Medicos'', was ``facilitated'' by the
        Pan American Health Organization, which augments ample public
        information that Brazilian, Pan American Health Organization, and Cuban
        officials are responsible for designing, implementing, and perpetuating
        the trafficking of Cuban doctors in the Mais Medicos program: Now,
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that the human trafficking and forced labor
        of Cuban medical personnel abroad by the Cuban regime are gross
        violations of international human trafficking and forced labor
        treaties and protocols;
            (2) recognizes that the signatories to these agreements
        have a solemn responsibility to abide by their obligations
        under these accords to ensure the working conditions of Cuban
        medical personnel meet international standards for foreign
        laborers;
            (3) urges foreign governments to reject the exploitation,
        profiteering, and wage garnishment of the Cuban regime by
        paying the Cuban medical personnel directly;
            (4) urges the President of the United States to utilize
        visa revocation authorities against foreign and organization
        officials who have participated in Cuba's human trafficking
        schemes, including the Brazilian, Cuban, and Pan American
        Health Organization officials involved in Mais Medicos, and the
        Honduran and Mexican officials involved in other schemes until
        such time as the host government fulfills its obligations under
        international human trafficking and forced labor treaties and
        protocols to protect the rights of those workers; and
            (5) approves of the policy changes outlined in the press
        statement issued on February 25, 2025, by Secretary of State
        Marco Rubio, entitled, ``Expansion of Visa Restrictions Policy
        for Individuals Exploiting Cuban Labor''.
                                 <all>