Poll: 57% of Cubans Intend to Leave Country

A majority of Cubans want to leave their country, according to an anonymous poll published by the independent pollster agency Cubadata on Monday.

Cubadata’s poll shows that 57.5 percent of Cubans intend to leave Cuba. Another 25.3 percent answered that they were unsure about it, and only 17.2 percent said they were not considering leaving their country.

The poll’s sample was gathered across all of Cuba’s provinces between March 23 and April 8. The vast majority of respondents, 77.4 percent, ranged between 22 and 55 years old. About 45 percent anonymously stated that they worked in Cuban state offices. 

When asked, “Has any member of your family or close acquaintance emigrated from Cuba during the last 12 months?” 85.2 percent answered yes; 18.5 percent answered no.

Cubadata also asked the respondents what are, in their opinion, the top three reasons that drive Cubans to leave their country. The most-voted options were Cuba’s economic crisis, with 23.3 percent of the votes; followed by food shortages at 17.6 percent; and lack of any future in Cuba, with 16.5 percent.

Other reasons provided were the shortages of medicine and/or poor healthcare services, lack of job opportunities, lack of freedom, political persecution, and insecurity and violence.

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The ongoing deterioration of Cuba’s living conditions, lack of basic human rights, and continued state repression — all consequences of more than six decades of communist rule of the island nation — have caused what is now considered the worst migrant crisis in Cuban history. More than 450,000 Cubans — almost four percent of Cuba’s entire population — have attempted to enter the United States between 2021 and 2022, according to Miami-based Havana Consulting Group President Emilio Morales.

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The continued mass migration of Cubans fleeing from the communist Castro regime and the inhumane living conditions it has imposed on them is now a crucial contributing factor to Cuba’s steep population decline, in addition to low birth rates and growth in the elderly population.

Authorities from the Castro regime’s statistics and information office admitted in May that, as a result of the nation’s continued decline, Cuba’s population could drop from 11 million in 2023 to fewer than 9 million by 2054. Castro regime officials have deemed it “unlikely” that the downward population trend can be reversed.

In its survey, Cubadata also asked respondents how much they agreed with their relative or acquaintance’s decision to leave Cuba. About 68 percent answered that they “totally” agreed with the decision, and 18.6 answered that they agreed, against 3.2 percent who said that they did not agree and 2.6 percent who “totally” disagreed.

The pollster agency also asked, “If you have considered emigrating, what would be your main reason?” Forty-two percent answered that “there is no future” in Cuba, with 25.6 percent citing the nation’s economic crisis as the main reason.

Lastly, Cubadata asked respondents what country they would choose to go to, and 43.1 percent answered the United States, 13 percent answered Europe, and 9.6 percent said: “any destination where a possibility arises.”

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The independent outlet Cubanet published a video on Monday showing a large group of desperate Cuban citizens attempting to obtain a plane ticket to Nicaragua — presently the only Latin American country where Cuban citizens do not need any visa to enter its territory.

“Between the misery, hunger, and poverty in this country, most Cubans are lining up outside [Venezuelan-state-owned airline] Conviasa in the Miramar business center to get their ticket to Nicaragua,” a Cuban citizen explains in the video.

“They are so desperate that they are crazy to leave the country and get out of this island, where there is nothing.”

Those who do not have the resources to fly out of Cuba often opt to make the dangerous journey out of the country by sea through makeshift boats. Cubans who flee their country by sea are often referred to as balseros, or “rafters.” More than 28,000 Cuban rafters reportedly reached Florida in the first eight months of FY2023.

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Immigration Attorney Willy Allen told the news website Cibercuba in June:

It is impressive the number of rafters who continue to enter U.S. territory, which shows that the Cuban immigration crisis has not been solved through [the Biden Administration’s] humanitarian parole, the alternative to seek asylum with the CBP One application or the increase of visas issued at the embassy in Havana.

“This is a profound crisis because it is the crisis of Cuban desperation.”

Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.