With New York City’s ability to accept refugees reaching its limit, the New York State Legislature is pushing for a plan to ban counties in the state from refusing to accept refugees.
New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar proposed a bill with these contents on the 7th and began the full legislative process. This bill also includes a ban on temporary residence of refugees in lodging facilities within the county.
“As New York City faces the greatest humanitarian crisis in history, New York State needs to work together to address refugee issues at the state level,” said Rep. Rajkumar.
Representative Rajkumar also proposed a bill to hire a dedicated coordinator to support refugee applicants’ refugee applications and various services.
Meanwhile, Governor Cathy Hochul recently announced the allocation of $20 million in the budget, pointing out the urgent need for the prompt issuance of work permits and job search support for refugees in relation to the problem of immigrants applying for refugee status.