The Cuban identified as @yandrydz posted a new video on TikTok in which he answers his followers' questions about how he achieved his "self-deportation" from the United States. In his testimony, the young man explains in detail the steps he took to return to Cuba of his own accord.
"There are many people asking me about my process of self-deportation. In my case, I filled out the CBP Home application and they never called me, so I decided to book a ticket on my own accord and leave normally," he recounted.
According to what he said, upon arriving at the airport, he informed the authorities of his decision: “On the day of the flight, when I got there, they asked for my passport and residence. I told them no, that I was going to make a voluntary exit, that I was going to self-deport.” According to his account, at that moment “they requested my information and sent it to Cuba, so that Cuba would accept you, because a requirement of the airline at this time is that Cuba allows you to enter in order for you to be able to fly with them.”
The process, he explained, took several hours: “Cuba took a long time to respond, about 3 or 4 hours or so, and I missed my flight. They told me, well, we’re going to postpone your flight until tomorrow.” Finally, he noted that he received a call confirming his acceptance: “About three or four hours later, they called me and said that Cuba had accepted me, and that the next day I could fly normally.”
In his message, the young man clarified that travelers can bring the permitted luggage and must comply with the digital entry requirement known as DViajeros: "You search down on Google, type in DViajeros Cuba, and a page will come up where you enter your information and it gives you a QR code, which you scan when you arrive here in Cuba."
He also mentioned that upon arriving on the island, he faced no type of questioning: “I was not asked any questions or anything, they just told me welcome to Cuba and that was it.”
The video, which quickly accumulated thousands of views, reignited the debate on social media. Among the comments, some users congratulated him for his "bravery" and expressed admiration for his decision to return. Others, however, criticized him for giving up job opportunities in the United States or questioned the ease of the process he described.
"This country is not for the lazy," wrote an internet user in support of the young man, while another pointed out that "if you have a good mindset, you can save up some money and start your own business, but if you give up, you won't achieve anything." There were also more skeptical messages: "Now to struggle without electricity in Cuba," or "when he runs out of money, then he'll think differently."
The creator himself responded in the comments, stating that his experience cannot be generalized: “This was exactly my experience; nothing can be generalized, everything can change, and there are different experiences from other people.”
His testimony comes just a few days after he shared another recording in which he claimed that he does not plan to return to the United States and defended his lifestyle in Cuba, stating that “in Cuba there is no freedom of expression, but in the United States there is no freedom of time.” In that post, he also showed two cars and said: “I left the United States and I will not return.”
The case has fueled the debate about a recent phenomenon on social media: Cubans claiming to have returned voluntarily to the island after living abroad, stating that they prefer the tranquility or rest over the work pace in the United States. However, opinions remain divided. While some praise their personal determination, others recall the country's difficult economic situation and question the sustainability of such decisions in a context of inflation, power outages, and shortages.
This Wednesday, the United States government announced a new program for self-deportation with economic incentives of up to $2,600. According to the announcement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), more than two million people would have taken part in the program since 2025, although independent analysts question these figures and warn about the lack of transparency in official data.
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