About five thousand Cuban immigrants are currently in Uruguay waiting to change their status in the South American country. Most of them are not yet classified as refugees. No one is willing to give up their asylum claim to pursue permanent residency.
A Spanish newspaper reported the current situation of Cuban immigrants in the Sarua lands. Country. As of December 2023, Uruguay had 24,193 pending refugee applications, according to official data.
The waiting time for applicants is endless. According to the UNHCR, this period can be up to two years, which has led to many breakdowns in the administrative system.
For example, in 2023, 9,129 people sought political asylum in Uruguay, of which 7,293 were Cuban nationals.
Temporary document
As cases come and go and deadlines are extended, Uruguay publishes a provisional document regarding the settlement of pending cases. Through this, migrants can work for two years and have access to health and education services. However, they are not allowed to initiate family reunification processes.
Cubans and other foreigners must meet a number of requirements to obtain a certain type of residency in Uruguay. They are required to provide documents with the relevant consular visa. Don't forget that immigrants from Cuba require a visa to enter Uruguay.
To complete the procedure, those born on the island go to the Uruguayan Consulate in Brazil, even if they have lived in Uruguay for a year or more. There they obtained visas and continued their residency work.
However, this option to get a Uruguayan visa in a neighboring country is complicated from January 2023. Later, Uruguay began requiring a stamp or stamp for entry and exit from Brazil on Cuban passports.
