The New Reality of Forced Displacement for Cubans
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Since the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the story of Cubans has been one of forced displacement. Each generation has faced a new wave of exodus—from the Mariel boatlift of 1980, when 124,000 people fled by sea, to the Balsero Crisis of 1994, when as many as 35,000 risked their lives on makeshift rafts. For decades, the US stood as both refuge and promise, granting Cubans preferential treatment under policies like the Cuban Adjustment Act. But in 2025, that promise is fraying. Amid tightening immigration enforcement, deportations, and shifting regional policies, Cubans from Florida to South America are once again being forced to start over—caught between nations, uncertain of where they can safely call home.
In Florida, José Manuel Allende, who arrived in the US as an infant during the Freedom Flights of the late 1960s, now faces deportation to a country he barely knows. His family fled Cuba legally in 1967 under a U.S. program that brought hundreds of thousands of Cubans to U.S. shores. Nearly six decades later, Allende, now 60 years old, was detained outside his home by agents from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). His daughter, Sheena, says the arrest came without warning: “They came legally; the government invited them in and now tells them to leave. Why do they have to go after 58 years?”
Allende’s situation stems from an old criminal conviction that has long barred him from naturalization. Though a deportation order was issued in 2016, a court told him he was protected under the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program. For nine years, that protection held, until now.
Across the Gulf of Mexico, another Cuban, Pedro Lorenzo Concepción, is living out a similar reality. After two decades in the US, he was deported to Mexico this September, left to rebuild his life in Quintana Roo with nothing but the clothes he wore the day ICE detained him in Miramar, Florida. Lorenzo was one of dozens of detainees at the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility who went on hunger strike to protest their indefinite confinement. He described feeling like his life “no longer belonged” to him. After officials promised he would not be deported, he ended the strike, only to be told days later he was being sent to Mexico. “There were no papers to sign,” he said. “I had no choice.”
Their stories echo across the region. In southern Mexico, a caravan of 1,200 mostly Cuban migrants is walking north, not toward the U.S. border, but to Mexico City, hoping to legalize their status after months of waiting in Tapachula. Facing unemployment, economic hardship, and exploitation, many have given up on the idea of reaching the US altogether.
Even Cuba’s most prominent dissidents are not immune to forced displacement. José Daniel Ferrer, long one of the island’s leading activists, was released from prison this week and forced to exile to the US with his family. After years of refusing to accept exile, Ferrer’s reluctant departure marks another chapter in Cuba’s long history of displacement—a cycle that continues to drive its people from one uncertain refuge to the next.
This week in Cuba news…
Ferrer Freed from Prison and Exiled to the US with His Family
On October 13, Cuban dissident José Daniel Ferrer was freed from prison and sent to exile in the US with members of his family. Ferrer’s release followed the publication of a September 10 letter from prison in which he described “blows, torture, humiliation, threats, and extreme conditions” and requested to leave Cuba, citing threats against his wife and children. Cuba’s Foreign Ministry explained his departure came after a formal U.S. government request and his “expression of acceptance” of exile.
His release marks the latest turn in a long and turbulent saga. After being freed in January as part of a Vatican-brokered deal that freed 553 political prisoners, Ferrer was re-arrested in April for allegedly violating parole conditions. For decades, he has been repeatedly imprisoned for his activism, beginning with his arrest during the 2003 “Black Spring” crackdown when Ferrer was arrested and refused to accept exile to Spain, choosing instead to serve out his sentence.
After years of resisting exile, Ferrer’s arrival in the US is a significant blow to Cuba’s opposition movement. Many of his fellow dissidents have called his departure from Cuba a “forced exile.” In his letter, Ferrer said he would leave Cuba “with my dignity and honor intact,” adding that “only the United States truly stands in solidarity with the peaceful opposition and the Cuban people.” He was welcomed by Cuban-American U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who posted on X, “After years of repression, torture, and abuses from the Cuban regime, Ferrer and his family are in the United States.”
Cuban Migrant Caravan Seeks Legal Status in Mexico, Not U.S. Entry
A caravan of around 1,200 migrants departed from Tapachula in early October, heading north not toward the U.S. border but instead to Mexico City. Cubans make up the majority of the migrants but there are also nationals of Honduras, Ecuador, Brazil, and Haiti. Migrants explain that their goal is to regularize their immigration status in Mexico rather than seek asylum in the US.
This shift reflects a broader change in migration patterns among Cubans. Historically, Cubans have gravitated toward established communities in Florida or New York, where generations of migrants have built solid communities and family ties. Stricter U.S. immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, alongside widespread reports of mistreatment at the border, have discouraged many from attempting the journey north. Monthly encounters of Cubans at the Southwest Border have decreased by more than 57 percent, with 38 Cubans arriving at the border in January compared to 16 in August, according to data from Customs and Border Protection.
Migrants in Tapachula describe long waits, unemployment due to lack of legal status, and poor living conditions. Many cite delays and denials from Mexico’s Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR), along with corruption and high legal fees, and it can cost up to 20,000 pesos to expedite the process.
Facing economic hardship, xenophobia, and legal limbo, the caravan’s participants are demanding that the Mexican government offer them a path to lawful residence. As one Cuban put it, “We are appealing to a right that every immigrant has. To live well, to enjoy a comfortable and fulfilling life.”
US Campaigns Against U.N. Resolution to End Cuba Embargo, Citing Havana’s Support for Russia in the War Against Ukraine
The Trump administration has launched a diplomatic campaign against a U.N. resolution that calls on the US to end its embargo on Cuba. Per a State Department cable obtained by Reuters, U.S. diplomats will justify their stance by arguing that Cuba’s government is supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine by allegedly sending roughly 5,000 Cubans to fight for Moscow. The cable explains that the U.N. resolution “incorrectly” attributes Cuba’s domestic hardships to U.S. policy.
The resolution, largely symbolic, has been passed almost every year since 1992. During the last vote, 187 countries voted in support, with only the US and Israel opposing it and Moldova abstaining. The cable directs U.S. diplomats to encourage “No” votes but notes that abstentions or absences “are also useful.”
The State Department estimates between 1,000 and 5,000 Cubans are actively engaged in the war. Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent the exact number at 1,076 Cuban nationals, with 96 reported dead or missing in action. Ukrainian officials told Congress last month that an additional 20,000 Cubans are “awaiting travel and deployment” to Russia. Cuba’s government has denied involvement in the war between Kyiv and Moscow, only acknowledging the existence of Cubans participating in the conflict "on their own."
At Least One Additional Cuban Deported to Eswatini
On October 6, the US deported 10 additional migrants to Eswatini, including at least one unidentified Cuban, putting the total number of deportees to the small African nation at 15. According to a statement emailed to various news outlets on October 6, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated the foreigners deported to Eswatini "have been convicted in the United States of horrendous crimes." The details of said crimes have not yet been verified.
This puts the total number of Cubans deported to Africa at four. Two Cubans, Enrique Arias-Hierro and José Manuel Rodríguez-Quiñones, were deported to South Sudan in July. Five deportees, including one Cuban, also arrived in Eswatini in July. All are being held in the Matsapha Correctional Complex under harsh conditions within the landlocked nation. Eswatini’s government reported that two of the men will be repatriated soon.
Eswatini is one of several countries that have struck deals with the Trump administration to accept third-country deportees from the US. While the deal is not public, Human Rights Watch reported the agreement states that the US will provide $5.1 million to “build [Eswatini’s] border and migration management capacity” and, in return, Eswatini will accept up to 160 deportees from the US.
23 Cuban Migrants Rescued After Being Abandoned in Northern Brazil
On October 9, Brazilian police rescued 23 Cuban migrants who had been abandoned by human traffickers along a highway in northern Brazil. Authorities discovered the group near the entrance to Igarapé Arraia, a rural area crossed by the highway, after residents reported suspicious activity.
Police say the migrants were being transported in several vehicles when the traffickers fled upon spotting officers from the Border Military Police. The Cubans attempted to hide in nearby wooded areas but were quickly located and taken to safety. The migrants told police they had left Cuba amid worsening economic and political conditions and were headed to southern Brazil in search of better living opportunities.
Their rescue underscores the growing number of Cubans electing to migrate to Brazil. More than 19,000 Cubans have arrived in Brazil so far this year, surpassing Venezuelans for the first time. Many Cubans are continuing south toward Curitiba, which now ranks just behind Brazil’s northern entry points for Cuban asylum requests.
20 Migrants Transferred to Guantánamo Bay
On October 14, reports surfaced of twenty migrants being transferred to the Guantánamo Bay Migrant Operations Center (MOC) in Cuba. The nationalities of the migrants is still unknown, but they are all believed to be men. This is the first time migrants have been detained at the facility in almost two weeks. The last time migrants were on the base was October 1, when 18 individuals were transferred back to the US.
About 710 migrants have been held at the facility since the Trump administration began using the facility to house migrants in February. In September, several migrants had to be moved to another part of the facility due to a water failure, raising concerns about the conditions on the base. After this issue was brought to the courts in the US, it appears to have been resolved.
Cuba’s Economy Shrinks Again in Early 2025
Cuba’s economy contracted again in the first half of 2025, marking its third straight year of decline, according to official reports reviewed by OnCuba. The government blamed the drop on falling exports and missed production targets but did not disclose the size of the contraction or data by sector, raising concerns about transparency. Independent economist Pedro Monreal criticized the lack of figures, saying it prevents a clear understanding of the government’s actions.
Cuba’s GDP fell 1.1 percent in 2024 and 1.9 percent in 2023, bringing the total economic decline since 2020 to about 11 percent. While Havana had projected 1 percent growth for 2025, the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) instead forecasts a further 1.5 percent drop, one of the steepest in the region after Haiti.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel attributed the downturn to the U.S. embargo and internal inefficiencies, urging officials to boost exports, particularly in tourism, agriculture, and industry. The government also announced a “significant” reduction in its fiscal deficit but offered no supporting data.
Russia and Cuba Strengthen Military Cooperation
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has signed a law formalizing a new intergovernmental agreement on military cooperation with Cuba, deepening defense ties between Moscow and Havana. The pact, originally signed in March in both capitals, establishes the legal framework for joint strategic initiatives, which some see as a political gesture.
According to the Russian news agency TASS, the agreement is intended to strengthen defense relations between the two governments. The accord guarantees protection for Russian personnel working in Cuba and lays the foundation for future strategic initiatives in training, technology exchange, and defense planning.
UNICEF, Qatar Fund Launch Project to Support Children in Cuba
UNICEF and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) have launched a two-year, $1 million project to improve education, health, and nutrition for more than 9,000 children in Pinar del Río, the Cuban province hardest hit by hurricanes in recent years.
The initiative, titled “Better Education, Health, and Hygiene in Cuba’s Pinar del Río Province,” will rehabilitate 72 schools damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022, repair 272 homes where children live, and expand access to safe water in 76 educational centers. The program also includes measures to strengthen maternal and child nutrition, providing powdered milk for over 38,000 people and supplements for nearly 10,000 pregnant women. In addition to infrastructure improvements, the project will train health professionals in nutrition and breastfeeding, and supply electric pumps to restore water services in storm-affected communities.
Vietnam’s Fundraising Campaign for Cuba Concludes, Raising Over $20 Million
At the end of its campaign on October 16, more than $20 million had been raised in Vietnam to aid the Cuban people in celebration of the “65 Years of Vietnam–Cuba Solidarity.” The effort, led by three Vietnamese organizations alongside the state, received donations from nearly 2.2 million Vietnamese citizens, a record for an international fundraising campaign organized by the Vietnam Red Cross Society.
Organizers have stated the funds will go toward “supporting Cubans in their daily struggles for food, medicine, energy, electricity, and fuel.” Vietnam’s government emphasized that there are no conditions attached to the aid, stating, “it is up to the Cuban people to decide how best to use it amid their pressing challenges.” The President of the Council of State of Cuba, Esteban Lazo Hernández reported that some of the funds have already been used to purchase equipment for electricity transmission and distribution.
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