119-hres205

[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''.
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