For Cuban asylum seekers, options dwindle after Serbia slaps restrictions on visas to curb migration

By JOVANA GEC
Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Fernando Almeyda Rodríguez and Remy Hernandez are two friends from Cuba, bound by a joint struggle for democracy in their country. But that comes with a price. The two men were forced to flee Cuba in the aftermath of 2021 mass protests to avoid persecution for their activism. An unlikely migration route brought them to Serbia last year, where they found safety and sought political asylum. They were the lucky ones as Serbia has since imposed entry visas for Cuban citizens, closing down a passage into Europe thousands have used in the past few decades.