Officials at shelters and organizations providing support to asylum seekers and refugees in the Metro Detroit area of the U.S. state of Michigan say they are working extra hours with little support, and "they do not have enough beds with the arrival of winter," a situation some fear could develop into a local crisis.

A report published by the American newspaper "The Detroit News" explained that state officials expect a 40% increase in the number of refugees coming to Michigan next year - up to 1100 people added to the number registered in 2023 - and this number does not include those who will come to the state through unconventional means after seeking asylum at one of the U.S. ports or at the border. State officials cannot track asylum seekers because they do not have a structured system to do so.

Haig Oshagan, a professor at Wayne State University for research in Detroit, has witnessed the increasing number of people who need direct assistance in the Detroit area. Oshagan, who is part of the city’s immigration task force, was preparing to speak to 30 asylum seekers in Detroit earlier last December, but instead was shocked when he saw a gathering of more than 400 people at one facility, begging for aid.

Oshagan said: "We knew it was a problem, but not to this extent... Where will they go? And where will they sleep? They have no way to ask for help or get it. The Freedom House program (which provides support to refugees) has quadrupled its capacity, but it is tough everywhere, and I'm not sure what will happen, or what the solution is."

The African Office for Migration and Social Affairs hosts the "Municipal Hall for Black Immigrants," where Oshagan was speaking. The influx of refugees and asylum seekers did not surprise the executive director of the place, Sidi Star, who explained that last year saw protests about all the support services provided to asylum seekers, from housing and food to legal services and work permits. However, individuals might notice they have poured abundantly onto the streets.

The "Detroit News" quoted Star as saying: "We continued to call officials.. We have witnessed a shortage of supportive services for this specific community primarily concerned with working with Black immigrants... We have worked to ensure the understanding of the presence of these people here, and something must be done about it."

Oshagan said many asylum seekers spoke about the difficulties they face, entering winter while homeless and without work permits, licenses, or any means of transportation. Many also worry about the rising costs of immigration and medical services, especially when families flee their homelands without carrying anything with them.

It should be noted that a refugee is a person who has fled their homeland for fear of suffering serious human rights violations or persecution there. An asylum seeker is similar, but is someone who has not been legally recognized as a refugee and is awaiting a decision on their asylum application. They are usually released near the border of the state they entered after their backgrounds are checked, then they rely on community agencies for food and shelter.

The state has no way to track the migration of asylum seekers, and programs supporting refugees and asylum seekers receive limited support from the federal government, if any at all.

Elizabeth Orozco Vasquez, executive director of the "Freedom House Detroit" program, which works with more than 100 asylum seekers and provides them with temporary housing and other assistance, said: "We don’t have beds for everyone who needs them," explaining that more than double the number arrive monthly at the Freedom House Detroit headquarters, requiring them to be moved elsewhere.

It is noteworthy that 2,583 refugees have arrived in Michigan this year, according to the "Refugee Reception Administration" of the State Department. The majority of this number – 642 refugees – have been placed in Kent County, in addition to 540 refugees in Oakland County, 451 in Wayne, and 300 in each of Ingham and Kalamazoo counties.

The state expects 3,675 new arrivals next year, an increase of 42%.

Among the approved incoming refugees, 36% are from Syria, 30% from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 7% from Iraq. However, officials say the majority of new arrivals are asylum seekers whom the state cannot track.