In 2025, only 38 Cubans were granted refugee status in Spain. During the same timeframe, 311 applications faced rejection, and an astonishing 998 cases were shelved, meaning they were closed without a thorough examination.
These figures are more than just numbers; they highlight a disturbing trend: Spain is not accurately grasping the Cuban reality, neither politically nor in humanitarian terms.
Not a single Cuban has received Subsidiary Protection or Humanitarian Grounds this year. In a stable country, this might be surprising; for Cuba, a nation rife with systematic repression, criminalization of dissent, and a constant presence of political prisoners, it is simply bewildering.
Cuba's Stark Contrast with Other Nations
Ironically, democratic or semi-democratic countries in the region provide more protections, sometimes offering hundreds or thousands of humanitarian reasons. Meanwhile, Cuba stands out with an absolute zero.
The contrast is stark: 48,573 humanitarian reasons for Venezuelans, 230 for Peruvians, 299 for Colombians, along with dozens granted to citizens of countries with strong institutions, political alternation, and separation of powers.
If one were to analyze these statistics without political context, one might conclude that Spain views Cuba as less in need of protection than most of the continent. However, a look at the reality and historical records reveals this is not reflective of the objective situation, but rather a particularly restrictive policy towards Cuban applicants.
The Tragic Reality of Archived Applications
The most alarming figure is not in the recognitions or denials, but in the archived cases. The 998 archived Cuban cases are not failed applications; they are applications never reviewed.
An archived case doesn't say, "you have no grounds," but rather, "your case wasn't studied." It reflects a system that, overwhelmed, lets processes expire, loses notifications, or interprets as withdrawal what is actually exhaustion, hardship, or mere misinformation.
Spain's Inadequate Response to Cuban Persecution
And therein lies the paradox; while Cuba remains the oldest dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere, Spain responds to most of its applicants not with protection, not with doubts, not even with formal rejection, but with administrative closure, expelling them from the system without being heard. Cases are not denied because they lack reason; they simply aren't examined.
Official statistics end up depicting a country that doesn’t produce political exiles, but "incomplete files." A nation whose migratory flow is not analyzed but managed through massive archiving. A country that seemingly requires no protection because its political, social, and repressive reality fails to resonate within the Asylum Office forms.
Zero humanitarian reasons, scant protections, and nearly a thousand unassessed cases illustrate a clear pattern: Spain's asylum system is not interpreting Cuban persecution with the diligence or coherence the situation demands. As repression on the island intensifies, international protection outside wanes.
This is not merely a statistical issue; it's a political and humanitarian crisis.
This challenges not only Spain's response but the legitimacy of a system that, when faced with one of the longest-standing and oppressive regimes in the region, prefers closing files over opening its eyes.
Amidst these numbers, these files, these endless, draining waits, I find myself.
I am just another name on that long waiting list.
Understanding the Failure of Spain's Asylum System for Cubans
Why are so few Cubans granted asylum in Spain?
Spain's asylum system appears to be particularly restrictive towards Cuban applicants, as evidenced by the low number of recognitions and the high number of archived cases that were never reviewed.
What does it mean for a case to be archived?
An archived case is one that is closed without a thorough evaluation. It reflects a system that is overwhelmed and unable to process the influx of applications properly.
How does Spain's treatment of Cuban asylum seekers compare to other countries?
While democratic or semi-democratic countries in the region offer more humanitarian protections, Cuba stands out with a total lack of such recognitions from Spain, highlighting a significant disparity.