Well, in a small, humble office in Harlem,
a former asylum seekers doing what she can to meet
growing needs in the West African community.
In our series Migrants in America,
Fox 5, Stephanie Rutini shares her story,
The Persecut in My country.
He says political persecution forced him to flee Guinea,
West Africa, a nation where significant human rights issues are
a concern.
My life is safe here.
I'm not afraid. I'm not.
I have No Fear here because I I know that
I'm to the United States,
he says. Back home, others told him to head to
New York City once he got to the US and
that's exactly what he did.
I traveled to Istanbul first.
After Istanbul, Bogota called from Colombia,
El Salvador and Carawa, Honduras,
Guatemala, in Mexico before coming to the United States.
He's been here for less than six months and like
many migrants,
he's facing challenges. It's it's a little bit difficult because
we don't have no working permit,
no social. It doesn't look like much from the outside,
of course.
Odd, but Africana, A grassroots organization in Harlem,
is a lifeline for West African migrants like him.
This is a safe place.
Adam ABBA runs the place.
She's the founder too. I'm a former asylum seeker myself,
so from asylum to green cards to citizenship,
it took 16 years to become an American citizen.
BA says she knows first hand how complicated immigration matters
can be.
It's very confusing, but especially for black migrants,
she says. For migrants like the many from West Africa
who are in her office,
daily immigration issues are compounded by drastic linguistic,
cultural and religious differences. For black migrants is harder because
the anti blackness starts from South,
their journey in South America
they're charged extra. They are looked at different.
They don't speak the language,
They don't understand the culture by is an activist.
She authored a book recounting some of her experience.
She's worked with disenfranchised communities for years,
recently responding to New York City's migrant crisis at the
front lines,
meeting asylum seekers as they arrive.
And here at Africana, she is doing whatever she can
to help them transition to a life in America.
The first thing we do is ID for you.
There's no one that's going to rent an apartment with
you if you're walking around with just immigration papers.
After filing asylum, migrants are eventually given work permits.
The city has been housing many of them in more
than 200 emergency 3 shelters established during this migrant crisis.
Newly rigid restrictions imposing limits on shelter stays are creating
more hurdles.
BA says there's no stable place for them.
So how do they apply for asylum?
How do they move out of the shelter system?
How do they get their drivers?
How do they get the stuff if they can't even
get their mail?
I can't imagine how many letters are here.
Now. A makeshift mail room is growing in the back
of the office.
That's because BA allows asylum seekers to use the address
here to get their mail.
Here in Africana, migrants also get help transitioning their children
to school and with enrolling themselves in one important course,
roll you in ESL School.
The reason why we do that for black migrants is
because if they don't speak Spanish or English,
they have a huge disadvantage.
All the services are in Spanish or English.
She Staffs her office with volunteers,
most of them also migrants and asylum seekers.
The reality of it is black migrants are not going
to go to city and ask for help.
They're going to come to people that look like them
for help.
They're going to go to their House of worship.
They're going to go to their fake institutions that they
recognize for help.
And even though they feel they are better off here
on this day,
this asylum seeker reminds us all what it feels like
to miss home and how loved ones like family are
irreplaceable.
I'm really sad because it it it has been like
3 months I didn't see them.
What does the American dream mean to you?
For me, it's a like
it's freedom. Stephanie Bertini, Fox 5 News.