Cuba migrants flown from Costa Rica to Mexico-US border Published duration 10 February 2016

image copyright Reuters image caption Pregnant women and children were among those on board

A group of vulnerable Cuban migrants have been flown by the Costa Rican authorities to a Mexican border town, from where they are expected to enter the US.

The 113, including children and pregnant women, landed in Nuevo Laredo on Tuesday.

They were among thousands stranded in Costa Rica after neighbouring Nicaragua denied them passage north.

Cubans are allowed automatic residence when they set foot in the US.

But after the two counties normalised ties following years of animosity, the number of Cubans trying to reach the US surged amid fears the policy would be dropped.

Central American nations reached a deal last month allowing migrants stranded in Costa Rica to continue on to the US.

The first flight carrying about 180 flew from Costa Rica to El Salvador in January.