New York city is facing a huge crisis due to arrival of more than 100,000 migrants in the past year. It is affecting the city’s shelter system, schools and budget
More than 118,800 migrants arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022, with over 10,000 arriving every month. Nearly 60,000 migrants are in the city’s care with about 21,000 new migrant children starting school this year. Mayor Eric Adams has called it a humanitarian crisis that will cost the city about $12 billion over three years. (Image: AP)
A huge majority of immigrants are from Venezuela who entered the US from the southern borders due to the economic decline in Venezuela. Migrants are also coming from other Latin American and Caribbean countries, such as Cuba, Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua and African countries like Senegal and Guinea.
The city had opened 24-hour asylums and shelters to welcome these migrants. Around 61,400 migrants were staying in homeless shelters as of September and a total of 115,200 people are living in shelters across the city.
City models project that a high rate of growth will continue in the future and the asylum seeker population will average nearly 33,860 households this fiscal year. That would increase costs to over $4.7 billion, according to Mayor Eric Adams. (Image: AP)
It has been estimated that the city would spend $5 billion this year to house and feed migrants and it would exceed $12 billion over the next three years. Governor Kathy Hochul has asked the state to provide the city with an additional $1 billion over the already sanctioned $1 billion in this matter.
It is the only US city to have a right-to-shelter law that prohibits the city from legally turning away anyone seeking shelter. Arguing that the city cannot bear such an extreme burden, Mayor Eric Adams has asked the court to relieve the city from this law. He has also discouraged migrants by distributing fliers that say “there is no guarantee” that housing will be provided.
