Cubans ask for residence in Uruguay: "We have no work, no school"

Cuban migrants In Uruguay, they demonstrated this Tuesday in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to demand that the government facilitate the path to regularization in the country.

To the choirs of:“For our children, for our parents, we want residence”, the Cubans stood in front of the entrance of the building with the aim of having their complaints heard.

The attendees were children, women and adults who have arrived in Uruguay through different routes and now have an illegal status in the country, which prevents them from accessing basic services, decent jobs and education.

Many posters at the event denounced these conditions to which they are exposed.

Minutes later, the Cubans moved towards the Presidency headquarters, in front of Independencia Square. "The Cuban community gathered to demand the right to reside in Uruguay," said a publication on the social network Facebook.

Last January,Cubans also demanded the simplification of immigration processes, with the same operation of starting at the headquarters of the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry and then moving to the Executive Tower of Montevideo.

"No more visa to start the residency process," demanded those affected, who raised signs in front of the headquarters of the Uruguayan Presidency.

During that demonstration,Cubans suffered xenophobia in the middle of Avenida 18 de Julio, Montevideo, through a Uruguayan citizen who shouted at them: "Go to Cuba!"

According to2023 Census results carried out by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) in that South American nation,Cubans represent 20 percent of the migrant population in Uruguay.

In the country,of 3,444,263 registered inhabitants, there is a migrant population headed by Venezuelans (27%), Argentines (22%) andCubans (20%).

Of that percent of Cubans,At least 5,000 are in “migratory limbo” in Uruguay, since they do not have refugee status and cannot renounce the refugee application to process permanent residence that would allow family reunification.

Only in 2023, indicates areport of the Refugee Commission, 9,129 people requested refuge in Uruguay, of which 7,293 were Cubans.

While the immigrants wait for a solution, the country grants them a provisional document for two years that authorizes them to work, access health and education services, however, it does not allow them to request family reunification.