In the first nine months of 2024, over a thousand Cubans have sought political asylum in Spain, according to official data from the Ministry of the Interior provided to DIARIO DE CUBA. Specifically, 1,104 Cuban citizens have requested refuge from Spanish authorities between January and August of this year.
Cuba ranks 12th among countries with asylum seekers. Venezuela tops the list with 42,044 requests, followed by Colombia with 28,033, and Peru with 7,272. Citizens from these countries are exempt from the European Union's visa requirement.
Challenges in the Asylum Process
As of August 31, Spanish authorities had granted political asylum to only 20 Cubans, but these cases were from previous years. Additionally, 368 applications were denied, and 292 were archived.
Cuban asylum seekers described the legal process as a "chaos" to DIARIO DE CUBA. Securing appointments often requires resorting to the black market, and the process can take three years or more.
Increasing Applications, Low Approval Rates
Despite a significant increase in asylum applications from Cubans, very few achieve their goal. In the first half of 2024, the number of applications grew by more than half compared to the previous year, yet only a small fraction were resolved favorably.
A report from the Spanish Commission for Refugee Assistance (CEAR) revealed that in 2023, there were 3,082 asylum requests from Cuban immigrants, up from 1,392 in 2022, marking a 54% increase. However, only 1,157 of these applications were processed, and a mere 30 received refugee status. The remaining 1,127 were either denied (777) or archived (350).
"These figures represent a protection rate of 3.7%, one of the lowest recorded," the report highlighted.
Economic Migrants or Political Refugees?
Cubans face more obstacles in obtaining international protection compared to other immigrants. The Spanish government argues that Cubans migrate for economic reasons, failing to recognize the Cuban regime as a dictatorship or a country in crisis.