United States keeps Cuba in Tier 3 for human trafficking

The U.S. State Department again placed Cuba in Tier 3, the most unfavorable category, in its 2026 human-trafficking assessment. The agency said the Cuban government does not meet the minimum standards for combating trafficking and has not made significant efforts to do so. The finding covers professional missions abroad, particularly medical brigades, and attributes exploitative labor practices to the state.

The report estimates that between 15,000 and 18,000 Cuban workers were deployed in more than 50 countries, with personnel present in 52 destinations at the beginning of 2026. According to the State Department, the government keeps between 50 and 95 percent of the wages paid by host countries for those services. The assessment also describes passport retention, surveillance, movement restrictions and threats against professionals or their relatives. Health workers reportedly make up about 75 percent of personnel sent abroad.

The document also says people who leave a mission may face an eight-year ban on returning to Cuba. In July 2026, the House Appropriations Committee also denounced the exploitation of Cuban doctors and linked the programs to state revenue. In a communication about measures included in that fiscal year's appropriations law, the committee said the policy contributed to changes or cancellations of agreements and modifications to employment conditions.

The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights asked the European Union to investigate conditions faced by a Cuban medical brigade in Calabria, Italy, comprising about 200 professionals. The organization alleged wage withholding, long working hours, movement restrictions and obstacles to family reunification. The request seeks an examination of possible violations and protection for anyone affected; it is not itself a ruling assigning responsibility for the brigade's contracts.

The report also notes that Uruguay announced it would pay about 20 Cuban ophthalmologists directly instead of transferring their compensation to the Cuban state. As an economic reference, the State Department cited official data showing that medical-service exports generated $4.9 billion in 2022. The figure applies to that year and reflects the economic importance of professional services abroad, but it does not specify current mission revenue.

Cuba's placement in Tier 3 is the State Department's assessment of the government response to trafficking; it is not a court decision establishing individual responsibility for every official or participant. The classification, in effect since 2019 according to the assessment, accompanies allegations of labor coercion and control over professionals. The document also addresses reports of Cubans recruited to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine and minors participating in activities linked to military structures.