New York tightens its migrant reception policy

They will have two months to find housing. This was recently announced by Mayor Eric Adams, who said that there is no more space in the city and that single men will have to vacate emergency shelters and hotels.

“We will do this by giving adult asylum seekers already in our care 60 days notice to find housing with intensive social work services, to help them explore options and connect with networks of friends and family,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

The new policy does not apply to families with children. But many like Juan Carlos Álvarez say that the notification reached everyone.

“That they had to evict just like single people//There are many people who still do not have the availability of rent, to be able to rent a room or something to be able to live in it, so there will be many people on the street,” says Juan Carlos Álvarez, a Colombian migrant.

The city has under its care more than 50,000 migrants in municipal shelters and many are already completing a year.

“They should work, work, look for work and work, you know, it’s the only way to get ahead,” says Santiago Álvarez, a New York resident.

Additionally, the city government is distributing these flyers at the border to ask migrants not to come to New York, that there is no space and there is no guarantee to provide shelter.

According to immigration lawyers, asylum seekers must start the process during the first year or else, they must demonstrate extraordinary circumstances that prevented them from doing so.