Cuban family finds welcome, refugee status in distant Serbia

By JOVANA GEC
Associated Press

LAJKOVAC, Serbia (AP) — A Cuban couple and their daughter have resettled in a small Serbian town after fleeing Cuba five years ago. While most emigrants from the Caribbean island go to the United States or Spanish-speaking countries, the family of three went to Serbia because the European nation doesn’t require Cubans to hold visas. They’ve since been granted status as refugees. Even as Serbians have left in large numbers for more prosperous countries, Belquis Gonzales says her family is happy with its new life. She says: “We had many doubts and many fears as well, but things have been a lot better than we had expected.”