GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Travel agents report a brisk demand for visas to Cuba, one of the few places that welcomes Palestinians.
Driven by fear of civil war and increasingly bleak economic prospects, Palestinians are fleeing their violence-wracked lands in growing numbers. Many are skilled and educated, and are leaving behind an increasingly impoverished and fundamentalist society.

Many countries make it difficult for the stateless Palestinians to obtain even tourist visas, because they often overstay them.

Two popular destinations for Gazans are Canada, which still offers legal immigration, and Cuba, which imposes few restrictions on Palestinian travelers.

Those with tourist visas to Cuba often don’t plan to go there. Instead, they get off in transit at a European airport, rip up their Palestinian travel document and seek asylum.

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