Asylum Seekers at Hall Street Shelter Grapple With Emerging Health Issues, Amongst Other Concerns

Finding employment and securing long-term housing have always been significant challenges for asylum seekers in New York City.

Now, residents at the migrant shelter on Hall Street, between Park and Flushing in Clinton Hill, are confronting a new and emerging issue: their overall health.

Last month, in July, two cases of the measles were reported at the Hall Street shelter-- which houses close to 3,000 residents in one square block-- prompting an emergency response by the City that included immunity testing and a mandatory 21-day quarantine for those residents found to not be immune.

Musa, a 36-year-old migrant from Senegal, shared with BK Reader that, aside from the measles, residents at the shelter are complaining about their health in general. For his part, he said, that in order to survive while awaiting his work authorization papers, he and others are resorting to foraging through trash for plastic bottles and cans to sell. This effort, however, exposes them to harmful bacteria and various contaminants.

“We are fathers, forced to dig through trash to support ourselves and send money home,” Musa explained in French. “This is how these illnesses spread.”

Musa pointed to an unidentified rash on his arm, a condition he says is common among those who scavenge for bottles and has started to spread among other residents.

Jibril, also 36 and from Mauritania, described how he, too, turned to bottle collecting to afford food. He explained that the cold, unappetizing meals at the shelter, along with other basic needs, compelled him to join the hundreds of others who search for bottles daily. 

Jibril said he was undergoing a blood test to check for any diseases. “They told us there was a disease here, and we must get checked. I am still waiting for my results.” Jibril said. “Everyone went to get checked and get vaccines.”

The two men then introduced BK Reader to a fellow resident from Morocco who refused close contact due to what he said was a recent diagnosis of tuberculosis. His appearance was alarming, with tattered clothes, disheveled hair and jaundiced skin.

The three men pointed out an X-ray truck that was parked outside of the Hall Street shelter and said all of the residents were now required to go there for tuberculosis screenings, as several of the residents recently had been found to be carrying the disease.

According to The World Health Organization, Tuberculosis (TB), a highly contagious disease, primarily affecting the lungs, spreads through the air when infected individuals cough, sneeze or spit. While TB is preventable and curable, it remains a serious health global risk, especially for those living in close quarters.

Noah Levine, Deputy Director of Communication in the Mayor’s Office, said the City was fully aware of any and all health issues at all of the shelters, including TB. He noted that while about one in four people might test positive– including among the general population– only a small percentage (5%–10%) of people infected with TB will develop the disease.

And even then, it is treatable. However, when left undetected or untreated, the disease is fatal, according to WHO.

Levine said the City was taking every necessary measure, including blood test screenings and sputum testing to detect exposure, followed by X-ray examinations to distinguish between active and latent infections. He added, screening protocols and vaccinations were actively administered at arrival centers as part of the city's comprehensive public health strategy.

He insisted the presence of the X-ray truck outside Hall Street shelter is only a precautionary measure and not a response to any sort of outbreak. 

However, he was unable to give a number of how many cases had been tracked so far or even when cases were first reported: "We rely on folks coming to us with their symptoms, and they expect protection of privacy and discretion on our behalf,” Levine told BK Reader. “Even though the number is relatively small, I cannot disclose exactly how many it is.”

When asked about reports of an unidentified skin rash among the migrants, Levine noted that nothing substantial has been reported to the city's health officials.

BK Reader reached out to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene regarding their knowledge of a reported skin rash or TB cases inside the shelters and whether there was an uptick in TB cases amongst New York City residents in recent months. As of the time of this publication, the health department has not responded.

On Tuesday, NYC Mayor Eric Adams stated during his weekly press conference that he eventually plans to dowsize the Hall Street shelter and other large shelters like it, in favor of smaller facilities spread throughout the city.