Displaced and Disconnected: Survey Highlights Lack of Legal Assistance for Asylum Seekers in NYC

´Displaced and Disconnected´ is the name of the recent survey on the experience of asylum seekers in our city.

In the survey, led by the non-profit organizations ‘Se hace Camino Nueva York’ and Hester Street, some 800 migrants were interviewed, the majority from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. And the answers worry these entities.

Natalia Aristizábal, Associate Director Make the Road NY says:

“They are not having access to a lawyer. If they do not have access to a lawyer, they will not be able to apply for political asylum and that means that they will join the community that is here, undocumented and we know that this has a very long wait.”

According to the study, 93% of respondents said they have not found legal assistance to apply for asylum. 97% say they have not received authorization to work.

“It is something fundamental in the asylum process that one can request asylum and unfortunately, although NY in the last decade has created innovative programs that have to do with legal services for immigrants, there are not enough resources,” explains Daniel Altschuler. , Director of Policy and Strategic Communications.

Elected officials, New York’s ombudsman and comptroller highlight the city’s efforts to open shelters, but recall that without sufficient legal, educational, and health services, newcomers will continue to face many barriers.

They recommend including at least an additional $140 million in legal services for migrants in the municipal budget.

The Road is Made New York says that it is the largest survey that has been carried out to date for this population and they hope that the responses will be taken into account by the government in all its instances.

But in a statement, a spokesman for the mayor indicated the following:

“We have budgeted over $60 million for free immigration-related legal services this year… We invite the Comptroller and City Council to join us in calling for systemic changes to the federal government rather than an approach that further stretches the resources of New Yorkers who are already in short supply.