New York City has introduced a new “reticketing center” to assist migrants in securing free one-way plane tickets to destinations around the world as Mayor Eric Adams seeks to alleviate the strain on the city’s already overburdened shelter system. This center, located in a repurposed church office in the East Village, has been established specifically to purchase tickets for asylum seekers looking to leave the city.
With no immediate relief in sight, city officials have set up this reticketing center to expedite the process of assisting migrants in continuing their journeys. The move is also aimed at streamlining operations at The Roosevelt Hotel, which serves as the city’s primary intake center for asylum seekers. The cost of purchasing a plane ticket is, in some cases, more economical than the $380 per day the city spends to accommodate an asylum seeker in one of its shelters.
While it wasn’t immediately clear where or how many asylum seekers have expressed their desire to leave, some have already booked flights to destinations as far-flung as Morocco. However, the purpose of the reticketing center wasn’t always clear to some migrants who arrived there, as they claimed officials had simply instructed them to go to the address without specifying its purpose.
Did you know…?
Things are so bad for nyc that mayor adams & gov. hochul have moved to suspend “right to shelter” mandate. Meanwhile migrants have given birth to 300 new anchor babies. NYC’s solution: a new “reticketing center” gives migrant free 1-way airfares to anywhere. pic.twitter.com/LjTpDiDP8w— A. Rios (@easternair355) November 5, 2023
A group of migrants from Venezuela and Ecuador shared their experience, stating that they had been expelled from their shelter four days earlier but had no specific destination in mind. They declined the offered plane tickets, expressing concerns about arriving in a new place without accommodation or support, and instead aimed to find jobs and rent a room together before the weather turned cold.
Another migrant from Russia, Alex, turned down a plane ticket because he expected to receive a work permit in a month, emphasizing that he had a plan in place.
New York City has been providing free airfares to migrants for several months, but the establishment of the reticketing center is part of a broader strategy to manage the ongoing influx of asylum seekers into the city. Mayor Adams has also reduced the stay limit for single adult migrants in city-run shelters from 60 days to 30 days to free up space. The latest data from City Hall shows that less than 20% of migrants who received eviction notices reapplied to remain in the shelter system.
This initiative comes in response to the mayor’s warning that New York City had reached “full capacity,” with over 130,000 migrants arriving since spring 2022 and more than 65,000 currently being accommodated in various shelters across the city.
