Cuba Denounces "Inhumane" U.S. Deportations to Africa

The Cuban government sharply criticized the United States on Tuesday regarding the deportation of Cuban migrants to third countries—a practice Havana described as inhumane and a violation of basic human rights, as it separates individuals from their families and leaves them stranded without support on other continents.

In a lengthy message posted on Facebook, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío denounced that under Donald Trump's administration, dozens of Cubans have been expelled to distant continents. He stated that these individuals end up separated from their families and lacking basic means of sustenance after being forced to leave their homeland due to the severe impacts of U.S. economic warfare.

Over recent months, Washington expanded its policy of sending migrants to African nations, affecting nationals from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iran, Nepal, and Turkey. In early August, migrants from Honduras, Cuba, and Ecuador accused U.S. authorities of forcibly deporting them to Africa without advance notice, leading families in the United States to seek assistance from Florida lawmakers to facilitate their return.

Fernández de Cossío further charged that Washington holds other Cuban migrants in indefinite detention without formal charges. He noted that detainees and their families are left in agonizing uncertainty within facilities where procedural guarantees are violated and private detention centers profit from their confinement.

The diplomat emphasized that many Cubans originally traveled to the United States attracted by long-standing immigration policies that encouraged both regular and irregular migration. He asserted that their presence and irregular status stem directly from official U.S. measures, referencing decades of the Cuban Adjustment Act, the former "wet foot, dry foot" policy, medical professional parole programs, and the funding of irregular migration as a tool of political destabilization.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez reiterated that many Cuban emigrants face discriminatory treatment by U.S. immigration authorities, characterized by raids, electronic monitors, family separations, and social stigmatization.

While Havana and Washington maintain a bilateral accord to return migrants intercepted at sea, Havana claims the current U.S. policy bypasses established channels by carrying out deportations to third nations with which the migrants have no prior connection.

Recent figures highlight the impact of the Trump administration's border enforcement. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that 33,056 Cubans arrived during fiscal year 2025—a sharp drop from the 217,615 recorded in fiscal year 2024. Cuban officials maintain that this decline does not reflect improved conditions at home, but rather fear, border militarization, and high-profile deportations that violate the fundamental right to migrate.