A Cuban resident in Germany, known on TikTok as Xiu (@unacubanaenalemania), returned to Cuba on Sunday after two years without seeing her family and documented the emotional reunion in a video posted on her account that moved thousands of followers.
The return was organized as a surprise for his brother and father, coinciding with the latter's birthday.
Upon landing in Cuba, Xiu cried on the plane even before getting off. At the airport, she told her brother to go get a package; upon seeing her, he ran towards her and they embraced in tears.
Later, they went to the father's house, where they surprised him outside his home. The reunion was equally emotional; father and daughter embraced after two years apart by a screen.
"And after two long years, the day finally arrived when I could hug them and give them that surprise. To be able to look into their eyes without a screen in between and say happy birthday, Dad, I love you so much. Thank you," Xiu wrote in the video description.
This type of reunion has become a recurring trend on TikTok during 2025 and 2026. A Cuban woman shouted "mami" upon reuniting with her family in a video that also made a significant impact, and another Cuban reconnected with his daughter after four years in a moment that broke the hearts of those who witnessed it.
The prolonged family separation is one of the most painful consequences of the massive Cuban emigration. Between 2021 and 2024, nearly 1.79 million people left the island, marking one of the largest migratory waves in the recent history of the country.
Germany is a secondary but growing destination for Cubans. According to estimates from the UN Population Division, that country housed around 20,000 Cubans born on the island in 2020. Applications for Cuban asylum in Germany surged from 73 to 607 in just the first half of 2023, according to data from the German Ministry of the Interior.
Since July 2023, Cubans need an airport transit visa to make a stopover at German airports, a restriction that adds further difficulties for those trying to travel between the two countries.
The costs of flights, migration restrictions, and economic difficulties make each return to the island an event that resonates deeply with millions of Cubans in the diaspora, as reflected in the comments on Xiu's video, which garnered over 5,500 views and nearly 400 reactions within a few hours.
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