Asylum in Brazil: the option thousands of Cubans are using to leave the island

Asylum applications from Cubans in Brazil are increasing: one of the most popular routes to emigrate in 2025 from the island and the most traveled road to another option, Uruguay. In the middle of the deep migration and economic crisis that Cuba is going through, thousands of Cubans are turning to Brazil as one of the most popular routes for emigrating.

According to data of the Migration Panel of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) of Brazil, During and first quarter of 2025, were registered 9.467 Cuban asylum applications, surpassing for the first time in a decade those made by Venezuelan citizens (5.794).

This figure confirms an upward trend that has been seen since 2022, when the DataMigra portal already warned of the sustained growth in asylum applications from Cubans.

Between January and November 2024, 19.100 Cubans requested asylum in Brazil, a figure that contrasts with the 13.100 requests in 2023 and the 7.600 in 2022.

The increase is directly linked to the closure of immigration programs to the United Statesand humanitarian parole and the platform CBP One, which allowed a legal way to migrate to the North American country.

With the tightening of immigration policy under the new administration of Donald TrumpMany Cubans are opting for alternative routes such as Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Spain to seek international protection.

Brazil, a new magnet for Cuban emigrants: record asylum numbers in 2025

La entry of Cubans into Brazil It is produced mainly by the North Region, through border points such as Bonfim (Roraima), on the border with Guyana, and Oiapoque (Amapá), bordering the French Guiana.

Border crossings are also reported with Suriname, in the state of Amapá.

Although a significant number of these asylum seekers remain in Brazil, others use the country as a transit point to destinations like Uruguay, taking advantage of the flexibility of South American land routes.

With more than 20.000 asylum applications annually, Cuba is alreadycupsecond place among the nationalities that most request asylum in Brazil, only behind Venezuela.

The search for an alternative outside of Cuba is making Brazil a viable option, and one that Cubans are increasingly considering as a place to rebuild their lives.