World
Uruguay has 3,244 recognized refugees and more than 30,000 pending asylum applications
Most of the people granted refuge in the country are Venezuelan, while Cubans account for a large share of the applications still being processed. El País Uruguay also reported a sharp increase in applications in recent years.
Uruguay currently has 3,244 refugees from 52 countries, according to Foreign Ministry data cited by El País Uruguay based on a public information request. The breakdown, as of December 31, 2025, shows that the largest community is Venezuelans, with 2,543 cases.
They are followed by Colombians, with 218 refugees; Syrians, with 69; Salvadorans, with 56; Cubans, with 52; Peruvians, with 37; Russians, with 28; Ecuadorians, with 27; and Nigerians, with 26, according to the survey published by the Uruguayan newspaper.
The report notes that in recent years there has been an acceleration in approvals, especially for Venezuelan citizens. According to El País Uruguay, when there were about 24,000 pending applications as of December 2023 and Venezuelans accounted for nearly 15%, the Foreign Ministry led by Omar Paganini implemented an expedited pilot plan for those cases. Under that framework, 842 applications were approved in 2023 and another 659 in 2024.
The situation of Cubans shows another side of the phenomenon. Although they now represent a minimal share among recognized refugees, they account for most of the pending cases. BBC, cited by El País Uruguay, reported days ago that of the more than 30,000 applications in process, 89% correspond to Cuban citizens, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi.
The growth in asylum requests also emerges from figures released by UNHCR and cited by El País Uruguay: in 2025 there were more than 16,000 applications and in 2024 there had been 7,000 processed. The deputy foreign minister also said the country receives an average of about 1,500 new requests per year.
According to the report, the increase in applications began to become more visible starting in 2019. That year, 396 requests were recorded; in 2020 there were 207; in 2021, 332; in 2022, 198; in 2023 the peak was reached with 926; in 2024 there were 698; and in 2025, 64.
At an event for World Refugee Day, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with UNHCR at the University of the Republic, Csukasi said Uruguay is seen as “an oasis” and “a safe place” in an international context marked by crises and displacement, according to El País Uruguay.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not do its own reporting on this event.
