New York offers free flights to immigrants who want to leave the city

• New York offers free flights to immigrants.
• The mayor’s office made the announcement.
• There has been an influx of migrants to NYC.

The mayor’s office in New York City is offering free plane tickets to other US cities for immigrants who want to leave voluntarily.

This is a somewhat desperate attempt to deal with the almost incessant flow of migrants this year.

Since spring 2022, an estimated 133,400 people have arrived in the Big Apple, according to municipal figures.

New York City has long been a melting pot and a popular destination for immigrants from around the world.

Shelters are at capacity

«We have opened more than 210 shelters in response to the crisis, and we have simply run out of space,» said a spokesperson for the New York mayor’s office.

«Since there is no sign of a decrease in the immediate future, we have created a relocation center.»

«The city will redouble its efforts to buy tickets for immigrants and help them take the next step in their journey,» they continued.

They specified that the «screening center» is located in the Roosevelt Hotel, a historic hotel that was converted months ago into a center for immigration operations.

Some migrants don’t want to leave NYC

Although the press is prohibited from entering the Roosevelt Hotel, it is easy to talk to the dozens of immigrants who crowd at the entrance in search of information.

Héctor P., a Colombian, has been offered a one-way plane ticket to Denver, but he doesn’t want it.

«What have I missed in Denver? I don’t know anyone there,» so for the moment he is turning it down, though he has not completely rejected the idea.

«[H]ere in New York, there are many of us for few jobs,» he commented.

New York offers free flights: Jobs are not included in the offer

Nearby, José Luis S., an Ecuadorian, recounts a similar experience. In his case, they offered him tickets «to Denver, Chicago and Florida.»

But he also turned them down because when he asked if the ticket also came with a job offer, he was told it didn’t.

At the Roosevelt’s entrance, everyone knows a friend or relative who has been offered a flight, and only those who have relatives in other cities are considering the idea.

The offer of free flights is in addition to the city’s previous offer of free bus tickets.

Too many migrants

The arrival of 45,000 immigrants to New York has been a significant challenge for the city.

In an effort to manage the situation, the city has decided to provide transportation for several hundred of them to various other cities.

Even some cities in Canada were included in their possible destinations.

However, the lack of official figures and transparency surrounding this operation raised concerns and criticism from the neighboring country.

Migrant children can attend public school in NYC

Héctor and José Luis have just been kicked out of a shelter in Long Island City.

This was part of a recent directive to limit stays in city facilities to sixty days.

Although the Mayor’s Office has not specified it, it is evident that they are giving priority to families with children.

In the mornings, groups of children often leave hotels and hostels on their way to schools where they receive support from bilingual teachers for their English immersion courses.

It’s harder for solo immigrants

The authorities are being much harsher with solo immigrants, whom they have begun to evict from shelters, according to several testimonies.

A rumor has been circulating that City Hall is considering using tents as an alternative to house new immigrants.

This idea has generated concern among immigrant aid organizations, since it comes at the start of winter.

The mayor’s office has not confirmed the criteria for putting immigrants in tents, but has not denied the news, according to EFE.