Few Cubans would know where Serbia is on the map. Fewer still would name Belgrade as their capital or give notice of the many wars and divisions that gave it its present form. The memory of the Soviet era and the power of a single leader, Marshal Tito, for too many years, seems to be the only thing that the Balkan and tropical countries have in common.
If Cubans are interested in Serbia, it is for one reason: it is one of the few States that does not require a visa for citizens of the Island and, due to its proximity –and potential entry– to the European Union, it is an ideal destination to emigrate .
“I learned about Serbia through Cuban friends who had emigrated in previous years,” he tells 14ymedio Diana, a young woman from Havana who has lived in Novi Sad, a city on the banks of the Danube, for a year. “It was a long trip and the ticket was expensive, but I got there.”
The Governments of Cuba and Serbia have been related since the times of the former Yugoslavia, so much so that when Diana mentions her origin to her neighbors, more than one mentions Fidel Castro and speaks of the Island as an old “brother country.”
“My family in Cuba was not geographically located with Serbia,” recalls the young woman. Some grandfather told him about Yugoslavia and he was worried: the Balkans have historically been a region of conflict, of wars and corrupt rulers. The fragmentation of the territory has been maintained at least until the recent independence of Montenegro and Kosovo.
Some grandfather told him about Yugoslavia and he was worried: the Balkans have historically been a conflictive region, of wars and corrupt rulers
“However, I decided to take the risk,” says Diana, who feels very comfortable in the country, to which a flood of migrants has traveled in recent years.
Technically, Cubans have the possibility of staying on Serbian territory for 90 days without requiring a visa, although, lately, an invitation letter is requested with the address where they will stay, as well as a person who “responds” for them at the airport.
Since the majority do not return to the Island, the Government of that country added the requirement to demonstrate economic solvency and the warning that the immigration authorities have the right not to allow Cubans to enter the country, “due to the abuse of the regime free visa”.
Despite the difficulties, there is already a kind of Cuban colony in the Balkans. “The cost of living is much lower than in most European countries,” says Diana. “It is not difficult to find work and acquire residency.”
Many young people in Cuba now work in the service sector, in bars and restaurants, or as cleaners or construction workers. It is rare for them to study at universities and, to access other types of work, it is essential to speak Serbian.
The tastes of food and clothes are not very different from those of Cuba, they practice Orthodox Christianity and live like the rest of the Europeans. “Although some aspects of the culture differentiate us, the communist past means that some references or customs are not strange to us,” says Diana.
“The weather is a surprise,” he says, “although after the first winter one adapts. In summer it rises to 40 degrees and there are usually heat waves. The strangest thing is not being near the sea, which was part of my life. everyday”.
Serbs are welcoming and claim to be different from the “cold people of Europe”. “They speak a little Spanish because they are fans of Latin music and Mexican soap operas, which television here has been broadcasting for years.”
After decades of war conflicts, Serbia opted for neutrality in its foreign relations, which has been called into question after Russia’s war against Ukraine
“The laws are quite flexible for migrants,” explains Diana. “Serbia has taken in many Syrian refugees and, after the war, also Ukrainians. Several people also come from the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, because they prefer the legal and political flexibility here to that of their own countries.”
The Balkan nation was considered a kind of “oasis” against restrictions during the covid-19 pandemic. “There was no need to wear a mask or be vaccinated,” the young woman is surprised. That boosted tourism.
After decades of war conflicts, Serbia opted for neutrality in its foreign relations, which has been called into question after Russia’s war against Ukraine. “Despite the narrow cultural past that it shares with the countries of the former Soviet Union, Serbia’s aspiration is to enter the European Union,” says Diana, so the most prudent thing for her government is “not to get involved” with Putin.
“Like other Central European countries that belonged to the Soviet bloc, Serbian society sees its future in alliances with the West and its ways of life, as a priority before the Russian paradigm,” he says.
Cubans, fed up with politics in their own country, try to cope with the delicate status quo of Serbia and concentrate on their well-being. Although she is doing well in Novi Sad, Diana – who dreamed of living in St. Petersburg for a while and seeing the paintings in the Hermitage museum – does not rule out moving to another country when things calm down in the region.
“After all,” he says, “if nothing tied me to Cuba, now nothing holds me back in Serbia either.”
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for joining us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
