Cubans Surpass Venezuelans in Asylum Requests to Brazil for First Time

In a notable shift, Cuban immigrants submitted more asylum requests in Brazil during 2025 than their Venezuelan counterparts, according to the 'Refugio en Números 2026' study released by the NGO Observatorio de Migraciones Internacionales (OBMigra). This marks the first time Cubans have outnumbered Venezuelans in seeking refuge in Brazil.

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The number of Cuban immigrants who requested refuge in Brazil in 2025 surpassed for the first time that of Venezuelans.

The study reveals that out of 75,599 asylum requests received by the Brazilian government last year, Cubans accounted for 41,919, representing 55.4% of the total. This figure signifies an 88.1% increase in applications from Cubans compared to 2024. The surge is attributed to the ongoing scarcity crisis and economic hardship plaguing the Caribbean island.

Venezuelans, who have historically been the largest group seeking refuge in Brazil, fell to second place with 21,233 applications in 2025, making up 28.1% of the total. Their applications saw a significant decline, particularly after the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and subsequent governmental changes in Venezuela. In the first four months of 2026 alone, Venezuelan asylum requests dropped by 39.7% to 4,274, the lowest number for that period since the pandemic.

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The requests of Cubans increased by 88.1% compared to 2024, driven by the scarcity crisis in the Caribbean island and the impoverishment of the population as a consequence of the economic collapse in Cuba.

Following Cubans and Venezuelans, other nationalities seeking asylum in Brazil in 2025 included Colombians (1,432), Angolans (1,253), Moroccans (888), and Ghanaians (792). The overall number of asylum requests in Brazil has been steadily increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 75,599 in 2025, an increase of 10.9% from the previous year. This figure is the third highest recorded since 2018 and 2019, years marked by a massive exodus of Venezuelans fleeing their country's humanitarian crisis.

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Venezuelan asylum requests fell more sharply this year, after the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and the change of government in the neighboring country.