奥巴马将终止对古巴人的庇护优惠政策

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.