Brazil is emerging as a preferred destination for Cubans seeking to escape the island’s worsening economic hardship and fuel shortages after the administration of US President Donald Trump shut down most migration pathways to the United States.
According to Brazilian government data, more than 41,000 Cubans applied for asylum in the South American country last year, the highest figure on record, contributing to an overall surge in asylum applications nationwide.
In the southeastern city of Volta Redonda, Cuban migrants gathered on Sunday for a Spanish-language Bible study, where many reflected on their new lives in Brazil while praying for relatives and friends still living in Cuba.
The migrants said they were driven to leave as power outages, shortages of medicines and other essential supplies continue to worsen on the island.
“There are not many options” for Cubans seeking to leave, said José Ramírez, 57.
Ramírez explained that he chose Brazil after hearing from friends that asylum seekers are allowed to work and access government social services while their applications are being processed.
Although the journey is challenging, many Cubans first travel visa-free to neighbouring Guyana before crossing into Brazil through the Amazon, reversing the migration route many previously took north towards the United States.
Now employed by an air-conditioning company, Ramírez said his favourite things about his new home are “freedom, electricity, food, and a decent wage.”
Brazil has maintained relatively open asylum policies even as several countries, including the United States and parts of Europe and Latin America, tighten immigration controls.
Larissa Getirana of refugee support organisation Caritas said migration has not become a major political issue in Brazil because immigrants account for only a small share of the population.
“We don’t have a large percentage of migrants,” Getirana noted.
She added that although Brazil has outspoken far-right politicians, many of them have shown sympathy towards people fleeing left-wing governments such as Cuba and Venezuela rather than opposing migration outright.
During a visit to Brazil in March, United Nations migrants’ rights expert Gehad Madi praised the country’s migration approach, describing it as a “rights-based, non-criminalizing and open approach to human mobility that stands out as a leading example in Latin America.”
However, rights groups say some restrictions have been introduced in recent years. Since 2024, certain migrants arriving at São Paulo’s main international airport have been barred from applying for asylum, a move the Brazilian government said was designed to prevent the country from being used as a transit point to the United States and to combat human trafficking.
Former Brazilian migration official Paulo Illes and refugee advocates believe pressure from Washington influenced the policy.
For many Cubans, applying for asylum offers temporary legal protection and permission to work, though final decisions on their cases often take years.
“It happens when there is proof of persecution,” said Letícia Carvalho of migrant support group Missão Paz.
Rights organisations have urged Brazil to grant broader residency rights to Cuban migrants, similar to measures previously adopted for Venezuelans, but the government has indicated that any decisions will remain subject to existing immigration laws.
Illes suggested political considerations could also be playing a role.
“When you recognize a big group of refugees, you recognize that country has a political problem,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding permanent residency, many Cubans continue to see Brazil as a place where they can rebuild their lives.
Beatriz Céspedes, who relocated from Cuba to Rio de Janeiro, said, “There are countless opportunities here that give you spiritual peace.”
