Hundreds of Africans Convene at Council Hearing on Black Migrants

This story was originally published by THE CITY Migrant Crisis

New African arrivals, many with specific dietary and language needs, need stronger support from the city’s response systems, advocates have warned for months.

by Gwynne Hogan
Hundreds of African migrants descended on City Hall Tuesday morning ahead of a City Council hearing on the experiences of Black migrants arriving in the five boroughs.

Word about the hearing spread through WhatsApp messages and groups, as did some misinformation. Several migrants who spoke with THE CITY said they thought the Council might vote to give them work permits.

One teen shared a WhatsApp video in French incorrectly telling people they would be given $5,000 or $10,000 debit cards for food supplies.

“I came to find out,” said the 18-year-old from Guinea, who shared only his nickname, Ab.
Others said they’d come to support those testifying on their behalf.

“We’re here, we don’t work, we’re in the shelters, we’re suffering,” said Abdul Naite, who arrived three months ago and is from Guinea. Speaking in French, he added: “We’re here to reclaim our rights.”

The hearing, hosted by the Council’s immigration and hospital committees, aimed to spotlight the experiences of African migrants, who now account for 16% of the 64,000 migrants living in New York City shelters, up from 13% last fall, testified Molly Schaeffer, who directs the city Director of Office of Asylum Seeker Operations.

The number of African migrants crossing the U.S. border has soared in the past two years, as Europe has cracked down. The New York Times reported 58,462 African migrants entered the U.S. over the border in fiscal year 2023, up from 13,406 the prior year, with the top countries of origin being Mauritania, Senegal, Angola and Guinea.

In migrant shelters in New York City, most residents still hail from South America, with 41% coming from Venezuela, 17% from Ecuador, and 9% from Colombia, according to data from City Hall through late March. But African nations now follow, with 7% of residents from Guinea, 5% from Senegal and 3% from Mauritania.

Advocates have warned for months that those new African arrivals, who often have particular dietary needs and speak a range of languages, are falling between the cracks. There are relatively few community organizations prepared to help support them while the city has been slow to adjust its services.

Schaeffer said the city is providing prayer rooms for Muslim shelter residents as well as places for residents to wash their hands and feet ahead of prayers.

“We’re really trying to incorporate the practices of individuals inside the shelters,” she said.
Many advocates who testified described inadequate language access for African migrants inside shelters and when interacting with other city services. While many new arrivals speak French, others only speak indigenous languages like Wolof or Pulaar. Adama Bah, the founder of Afrikana, a volunteer run group, said she’s constantly being called to translate for migrants in shelters.

“We keep telling them the language line is not working but they keep telling us it’s working,” Bah said. “They’re constantly calling and telling the staff members to speak to Adama, she’s on the phone. Every staffer in the shelter system knows that I’m translating when I call.”

The majority of African migrants living in city shelters, 81%, are adults or older teens, according to Schaeffer meaning they’re disproportionately subject to strict 30-day time limits on shelter stays. By comparison, 91% of Venezuelans in shelters are families with children, she said.

Given the city’s strict time limit on their shelter stays, many African migrants have taken to living in ad hoc settings inside of mosques or commercial spaces. The surge in African migrants in shelters has carried over into shelters for younger New Yorkers, since many new arrivals are under the age of 21.

Inside and outside the hearing many migrants expressed exasperation over federal rules the New York City Council has little control over, making them unable to work legally for at least six months while asylum paperwork is processed.

“Months where you can’t work, you can’t live. It’s not dignified,” said Abdoul Gadiry Diallo, 43, testifying in French through a translator. “It’s very humiliating. We have family that count on us.”