Cuba Slams US Deportations to Africa, Warns Carlos Fernández De Cossío

Cuba condemned US deportations of Cuban migrants to third countries after Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío accused the US administration of sending dozens abroad and detaining others indefinitely without specific charges.

He made the accusation in a Facebook post on November 3, 2026. The allegations concern Cuban migrants and their families, but he did not give a precise number or a period for the removals.

The diplomat said some deportees were separated from relatives and left without support. He also said detained migrants and their families faced prolonged uncertainty.

“Others are imprisoned indefinitely without specific charges, leaving them and their families in agonizing uncertainty.”

Separate cases show African destinations, not proof of the post’s specific deportations

Other Cuban deportees have been documented in African countries. Eight Cuban women, one Peruvian and one Venezuelan were flown to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. The women described difficulties communicating and poor conditions there.

Their case has not been tied to the deportations Fernández de Cossío cited. The distinction leaves open which individuals he was referring to.

Cuban Roberto Mosquera was reported sent to a correctional complex in Eswatini. Separately, Noslén Sendra, a Cuban detainee with diabetes and acute pancreatitis, was told he could be transferred to Africa after Mexico refused to accept him. That was notice of a possible removal, not confirmation that he was deported.

An ICE spokesperson denied allegations that sick detainees were being deported and said detainees receive medical clearance before travel. That statement addressed medical allegations in separate coverage, not Cuba’s condemnation.

The estimate covers dozens, but Havana has given no count or time period

Fernández de Cossío’s “dozens” refers to Cubans sent to third countries. It is not an Africa-only count, and he did not specify when those deportations occurred. No exact Cuban total can be drawn from his statement.

A broader count puts the scale in context, but does not resolve that gap. Between January 20, 2025, and August 31, 2026, the United States deported 25,447 people to countries other than their countries of origin. That figure covers people of multiple nationalities, not just Cubans.

Human Rights Watch data cited for January 2025 through August 2026 counted more than 500 people sent to African countries that were not their birthplaces. The wider agreement network involved 35 foreign governments, 19 in Africa, with $410 million reserved for related payments.

Havana’s argument also centers on migration policy. Fernández de Cossío attributed migrants’ irregular status to US authorities’ actions and official policies. Cuba says its return agreement with the United States covers migrants arriving by sea, while current US policy reaches removals to third countries with no connection to Cuba.

Cuban authorities cited 33,056 Cuban arrivals in fiscal year 2025, compared with 217,615 in fiscal year 2024. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez has separately criticized raids, restraints, family separations and stigmatization of Cuban migrants.

Certain removals can continue while the Supreme Court considers the challenge

The Supreme Court has allowed the government to resume certain third-country removals while litigation continues over the policy. The temporary action is not a final ruling on its legality.

The court set full oral argument for December 9. A separate Minnesota case does not decide the broader dispute: Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan ordered steps to return a Nicaraguan man from the Central African Republic.

The Supreme Court’s December 9 argument is the next scheduled development in the broader challenge.