A Cuban woman living in Malta says she was banned from returning to Cuba for five years after leaving her job on cruise ship and remaining abroad.

The content creator, known online as “Una Cubana en Malta,” said she was never directly informed about the restriction. Her mother reportedly visited an immigration office in Cuba, where officials provided a document stating that her daughter had been “penalized” for five years.

The womann said the the punishment was linked to rules requiring certain Cuban workers employed aboard ships to return to the country. She said the restriction forced her to return to Malta and wait five years before she could travel home again.

She also claimed that some Cuban professionals, including doctors who abandoned state contracts abroad, have faced bans lasting eight years or even indefinitely.

The document provided to her mother has not been made public, and Cuban authorities have not commented on the individual case.

Cuba introduced a new Migration Law in May 2026 that removed the general 24-month limit on stays abroad. However, authorities retained broad powers to restrict entry or departure on grounds including national security, public order and “public interest.”