The National Migration Institute (INM) of Mexico acknowledged that less than 3% of foreigners who apply for asylum or humanitarian permits actually receive effective protection.
Of the nearly 150,000 applications registered between October 2024 and June 2025, only 5,191 humanitarian visas were approved, reported El Universal.
In that universe, Cubans top the list. Of the more than 4,000 cards granted to migrants from the American continent, 3,284 were issued to citizens of the island, representing more than 79% of the national total.
Most of them arrived fleeing political repression, economic crisis, and the lack of freedoms in Cuba, the source emphasized.
The official report reveals that, although Mexico maintains a discourse of "humanitarian policy," in practice the procedures drag on for months, leaving applicants trapped in a legal limbo without the ability to work, study, or access basic services.
Human rights organizations and activists warn that the lack of resources and staff at the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid (Comar) worsens the situation, as thousands of applicants wait for responses in shelters or on the streets in the southern part of the country.
According to the report on Migration and Human Rights in Ciudad Juárez, prepared by the organization Derechos Humanos Integrales en Acción (DHIA), the main violations faced by people in forced mobility include irregular deportations, harassment by authorities, failures in due process, loss of belongings, extortion, and lack of information about their rights.
"People fleeing Cuba and other Caribbean nations face not only the persecution that forced them to leave but also institutional indifference in Mexico," remarked a university coordinator specializing in migration, who warned about the increasing vulnerability of asylum seekers.
In border cities like Tapachula or Tijuana, hundreds of Cubans remain stranded waiting for interviews or notifications, a process that can take more than a year.
In many cases, the delay forces migrants to continue their journey to the northern border under risky conditions.
Despite the obstacles, Mexico remains one of the main transit and temporary refuge destinations for Cubans seeking to escape the regime in Havana and make their way to the United States.
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