The Cuban government announced Friday it is lifting a decades-long ban on native-born Cubans travelling to and from the nation via boat.

    For years denizens of the socialist island required special permission to travel to or from the island via a ship, even on small vessels. As of Tuesday, that prohibition will end, the official government newspaper Granma reported.

    The ban existed for political purposes. In decades past Cubans often fled the island using vessels that were often less than seaworthy. The reform follows the historic re-establishment of relations between Cuba and the United States.

Source: QNA