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In 2025, Cubans displaced Venezuelans for the first time in a decade and became the leading nationality applying for asylum in Brazil, a trend that has solidified in 2026 and demonstrates that—far from diminishing—the migratory exodus from the island remains unstoppable, reaching record numbers in the perilous journey to the South American country, especially since the U.S. government tightened its policies against illegal immigration.
Statistics collected by the Observatory of International Migrations (OBMigra) in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice of Brazil, which have been reported by international and local media, indicate that out of the 75,599 asylum applications registered in Brazil during 2025, 41,919 were from Cubans, accounting for 55.4% of the total. Venezuelans have placed second with 21,233 requests (28.1%), followed by Colombians with 1,432.
The leap is significant: in 2024, Cubans had submitted 22,288 applications, which means that in just one year, the number nearly doubled, with a growth of 88.1%.
The trend does not stop in 2026. Between January and April of this year, 13,414 Cubans applied for asylum in Brazil, representing 58% of all applications during this period, according to OBMigra.
The state of Roraima, in the north of the country, accounts for the highest volume of arrivals. In the first quarter of 2026, more than 7,600 Cuban applications were recorded from this border region, which has become the main irregular entry point.
The most commonly used route by Cuban migrants to reach Brazil starts in Havana, flying to Georgetown, the capital of Guyana— the only country in the region that does not require a visa for citizens from the island. They then continue overland to Lethem at the border, from where coyotes take them across the Tacutu River by boat into the state of Roraima. They proceed on their journey by road towards the capital, Boa Vista, or to other southern locations, where they apply for asylum to remain in the country.
Migrants pay human smuggling networks between 300 and 2,800 dollars to complete the journey, through irregular and dangerous routes, according to recent reports from the Brazilian press. However, information from BBC News Brasil cited by O Globo revealed that "many Cubans are led to believe they must make this journey through illegal smugglers, paying amounts that exceed 10,000 dollars (51,400 reais) from the moment they leave Cuba."
This is compounded by the fact that, along the journey, migrants face risky situations, inhumane and unsafe transportation conditions, a lack of food and medicine, indebtedness, and exploitation.
According to Brazilian law, foreigners arriving in the country can apply for refugee status at "any immigration authority at the border," which implies that migrants, including Cubans, would not need to resort to human trafficking networks and illegal crossings to enter Brazilian territory.
In response to the increasing irregular flow, Brazilian authorities have implemented ongoing operations at their northern border. The Federal Highway Police launched the Operation Conexão Norte to dismantle migrant smuggling networks. Between June 8 and 14, they rescued 189 Cuban migrants and arrested seven suspected traffickers in Roraima.
Behind the exodus of Cubans are two triggering elements: the internal collapse of Cuba and the closure of the route to the United States.
The Cuban economy contracted by around 5% in 2025, with a total loss exceeding 15% since 2020. Chronic blackouts, shortages of food and medicine, rampant inflation, and repressive actions against civil society have driven thousands of families to seek escape through emigration.
At the same time, the Trump administration reduced irregular encounters of Cubans at the U.S. border by 99%, which resulted in a redirection of migration flows towards South America. Brazil, which allows asylum requests at the border without requiring a visa, became the most accessible alternative.
However, reaching Brazil does not guarantee legal refugee status. The National Committee for Refugees (Conare) approved only two applications from Cubans between January and June 2025, rejected nine, and filed nearly 11,000 cases. In the first quarter of 2026, no Cuban received formal recognition of refugee status, and the process can extend for over five years.
"The key to receiving refuge is to provide verifiable evidence that one has suffered or could suffer persecution," explained Alexei Padilla Herrera, a migration consultant and professor at Diáspora Consultoría, based in Brazil.
Brazil currently hosts around 84,000 Cubans, according to the Ministry of Justice, a number that will continue to grow as long as the Cuban regime does not provide the island's population with minimum living conditions and guarantee human rights.
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