With U.S. doors shutting, Cubans turn to Brazil for asylum

Key Points:

• Over 41,000 Cubans applied for asylum in Brazil last year, marking a record high as they seek refuge amid Cuba's economic and fuel crises and the closure of U.S. migration pathways under the Trump administration.
• Brazil offers asylum-seekers work permits and access to social services, making it one of the few remaining countries where Cubans can seek protection and build new lives despite the difficult journey through Guyana and the Amazon.
• While Brazil maintains an open and rights-based approach to migration, some restrictions have been introduced, such as prohibiting certain asylum claims at São Paulo's main airport, influenced in part by U.S. pressure to curb northward migration.
• Rights groups urge Brazil to grant broader residency permissions to Cuban migrants, similar to those given to Venezuelans, but political considerations and ideological ties between Brazil and Cuba may be hindering such measures.
• Despite the uncertainty and long waiting times for asylum decisions, many Cubans continue to migrate to Brazil, attracted by the opportunities and relative freedoms compared to their situation in Cuba.