Cubans Are Now the Biggest Group Seeking Refuge in Brazil

Brazil · Migration

Cuban migration has quietly reshaped who arrives at Brazil’s borders: in the space of a year, Cubans have become the single largest group seeking refuge in the country, often after a long and costly journey through the jungle of the north.

A striking shift is under way at Brazil’s borders. Cubans have become the largest single group of people seeking asylum in the country.

The numbers tell the story. Cuban asylum claims nearly doubled in a year, climbing to roughly 41,900 in 2025 from around 22,300 the year before.

Why Cuban migration is surging

The driving force is the crisis back home. Cuba is grappling with chronic shortages of fuel, food and power, pushing many to look for a future elsewhere.

For years the favoured destination was the United States. But as routes north have grown harder and more dangerous, the flow has turned toward Latin America instead.

Brazil has emerged as an accessible option. It lets Cubans apply for asylum at the border, and a refuge claim allows them to work legally while they wait.

Other doors have been closing at the same time. Cuban arrivals through Central America dropped sharply early this year, helping redirect the flow toward South America.

The change is significant in another way too. For the first time in over a decade, Cubans have overtaken Venezuelans as the top nationality seeking refuge in Brazil.

A long way round through the jungle

Getting to Brazil is rarely simple. Cuba sits in the Caribbean, far to the north, with no direct land link to the South American country.

So many take a roundabout path. They first fly to Guyana, which does not require a visa from Cubans, then travel overland into Brazil’s northern state of Roraima.

The crossing point is a remote stretch of border. From there, most head south toward cities such as São Paulo in search of work.

Once inside, the paperwork begins. Arrivals register with the authorities and seek an appointment to obtain the protocol that lets them stay and work while their claim is heard.

It is neither cheap nor safe. Migrants report paying thousands of dollars, and some accounts put the full cost of a journey at around five thousand.

The dangers along the way

Where desperate people pay to move, smugglers follow. Brazilian police say criminal networks have grown up around the route, charging steep fees for a passage they promise is safe.

The reality is often grim. Officials describe a journey that ignores basic standards of safety, and accidents on the way have cost lives.

The authorities have been intervening. In one recent operation, police rescued more than a hundred Cuban migrants near the border and arrested several people accused of smuggling.

A region that is now a destination

There is a bigger pattern behind the Brazil numbers. Migration experts say Latin America is no longer just a corridor on the way to somewhere else.

More Cubans are choosing to settle in the region for good. They are building lives in countries like Brazil rather than treating them as a waypoint.

That reflects choices made under hard conditions. Each figure in the statistics is a person deciding where they have the best chance to start again.

Why it matters

For Brazil, the trend brings both people and pressure. New arrivals fill jobs and add to the workforce, but they also strain border services and asylum systems.

For the wider hemisphere, it marks a shift in the map of migration. The pull that once ran almost entirely north is now bending south, toward Latin America itself.

It is also a measure of Cuba’s deepening troubles. When tens of thousands take such a hard road in a single year, the strain on the island is plain to see.

Background: Cuba’s economy.

More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Cubans are seeking asylum in Brazil?

Cuban asylum claims nearly doubled to about 41,900 in 2025, up from roughly 22,300 the year before. That made Cubans the largest single group of asylum seekers in the country.

What route do they take?

Many fly to Guyana, which does not require a visa from Cubans, then cross overland into Brazil’s northern state of Roraima. From there they typically head south toward cities in search of work.

Why are they leaving Cuba?

Cuba is enduring deep shortages of fuel, food and power. With routes to the United States harder to travel, more Cubans are heading to Latin America, where Brazil offers a legal path to work.

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