People in East Harlem are worried that bottle collectors are making the neighborhood look undesirable and pose a health risk. Most of these people are likely asylum seekers from the Randles Island tent camp who came to New York City to find work and a better life.

Delivery Boy.Photo byArseny AveryanovonUnsplash

Job creation has lagged while the city attempts to house and safeguard 200,000 people. Due to this, many asylum seekers reside in shelters and struggle financially.

Asylum seekers in New York City have a challenging time getting work for many reasons. To make money, young foreign mothers sell food in the subways. They are often too afraid to talk about their situation, though. The New York State Department of Labor has found more than 45,000 jobs for refugees and people seeking asylum.

But, even though there is an urgent need for workers, only 2,000 unemployed refugee seekers have been able to find work since the crisis started. This difference calls into question the city's claim of being a land of opportunity for immigrants.

The City Efforts

The city has talked to about 9,000 refugee seekers about job openings, but most of them have not been able to find work. This has made people reliant on government aid to stay alive, which goes against what the city says about job prospects. The skills refugee seekers possess don't appear to align with those required for available jobs. The unresolved gap prevents many individuals from participating in the market.

Many refugee seekers who reside in shelters face challenging living conditions. For example, the overcrowding in the Candler building leads to the expulsion of single men every 30 days. People are making things worse by thinking wrongly that there are lots of job possibilities.

For example, Gustavo Tano only works two days a week because it's hard for them to find steady work. Maria is one of those people who has to sell food on the train to make ends meet. They often can't pay for child care.