Asylum, detentions, and seven countries in the journey of a Cuban family to Spain

A couple walks hand-in-hand with their son across a snow-covered plain in a watercolor illustration. (Illustrative Image Infobae) Antony and Odaymis left Cuba in 2021, traveled to Russia, and crossed seven borders to reach Spain, where they currently run a Cuban sandwich business in Salobreña, Granada. The journey included immigration detentions in Croatia and Slovenia and failed crossing attempts over three months of travel across Europe, according to the couple's account to elToque. The family, also including Víctor, Odaymis's son, left the island with the savings obtained after selling their home in Marianao. The initial destination was Russia, one of the countries that at the time did not require a visa for Cuban citizens. The decision was a response to the crisis Cuba was going through during the pandemic and the intention to avoid the irregular route to the United States through Central America. Before that trip, Antony had already tried to emigrate. In 2010, he left from the vicinity of Havana with 28 other people aboard a makeshift vessel bound for Florida. The United States Coast Guard intercepted them a few kilometers from the coast and returned them to Cuba. "You could see the lights of the beach," Antony recalled, according to the testimony. The man assured that this experience did not change his decision to leave the island, where he worked as a shift supervisor at a gas station in El Vedado. Antony, Odaymis, and her son, Víctor, left the island in 2021, passing through Russia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, and France before settling in Salobreña, on the coast of Granada. (Illustrative Image Infobae) Antony, Odaymis, and Víctor arrived in Russia at the beginning of 2021. The initial intention was to settle there, but the language, climate, and difficulties of adaptation changed the plan. Weeks later, they decided to travel to Serbia along with other Cubans and friends they had met in Russian territory. A group of acquaintances paid for the airfare to Serbia, where they requested political asylum to buy time while looking for a way to continue toward Western Europe. During their time in that country, they worked in the apple harvest and evaluated the possibility of staying, although they finally chose to continue. The crossing into Croatia was one of the riskiest legs. In the first attempt, the military detected them already within the territory of the European Union and returned them to Serbia. In the second, they walked nearly 20 kilometers through uninhabited fields, with luggage and scarce resources. "We sat up all night with the other Cubans and on my old phone, we drew the path with great precision so we wouldn't fail again," Antony recounted. Once in Croatia, the family tried to travel by bus from Zagreb to Slovenia. A police check identified that they did not have European documents and took them to a migrant detention center. There, they initiated an asylum request, which allowed them to have a temporary regular status before attempting to continue the journey. The family was detected by the military during the first attempt to enter the European Union and was subsequently detained in Croatia and Slovenia, where they requested asylum to continue the trip. (Illustrative Image Infobae) The second bus trip allowed them to enter Slovenia, although they were detained again. Odaymis recounted that during a search, the agents found a card from the Union of Young Communist Youth of Cuba in her wallet, which she had kept since her youth. "I thought the Slovenians would kill us right there or that we would be imprisoned until we were deported to Cuba," Odaymis stated. The family requested asylum and, after several days, managed to leave the migration center. From there, the itinerary continued through Italy and France. In Italian territory, the couple turned to a relative to get money that allowed them to buy food and tickets. The final crossing into Spain concluded a journey through seven countries: Cuba, Russia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France, and Spain. The family first passed through Barcelona, Valencia, and Murcia before settling in Salobreña, on the coast of Granada. There, they found employment in the gastronomic sector and began establishing ties with neighbors and clients. At the beginning of 2026, Antony and Odaymis opened a Cuban sandwich and preparation business. The proposal gained visibility in the municipality and was mentioned by the Ideal newspaper, according to the elToque chronicle. Antony and Odaymis opened a Cuban food business in the municipality of Salobreña at the beginning of 2026. (Courtesy: elToque) Odaymis said that her son, now 26 years old, managed to build his life in Spain and that she is a grandmother. "I am very happy with how we are doing and with what our life has been like outside of Cuba," she maintained. Antony, on the other hand, explained that he maintains a constant concern for his parents and other family members who remain on the island. "I have to go back even if I don't want to," he said, referring to his family's situation on the island.