Asylum seekers in the United States 🇺🇸 and Europe now face a growing risk of homelessness if they refuse to be moved to designated shelters or alternative locations. This urgent problem has become more severe since 2024, as new policies, housing shortages, and stricter enforcement practices put thousands of vulnerable people at risk. The situation is especially critical in major U.S. cities like New York, Chicago, Massachusetts, and Denver, where emergency shelter systems are overwhelmed and affordable housing is scarce.
Sharp Rise in Homelessness Among Asylum Seekers
Between 2022 and 2024, the United States 🇺🇸 saw a 43% increase in the number of people living in homeless shelters. This jump reversed a 16-year decline in homelessness. Experts estimate that asylum seekers accounted for about 60% of this increase in sheltered homelessness during this period. The surge is most visible in large cities, where local governments struggle to provide enough beds and services for everyone in need.
Many asylum seekers arrive in the United States 🇺🇸 hoping for safety and a fresh start. Instead, they often find themselves caught in a system that ties their access to shelter and housing support to strict relocation orders. If they refuse to move to a different city or shelter as directed by authorities, they risk losing their place in the system and becoming homeless.
Housing Shortage Makes Situation Worse
The United States 🇺🇸 faces a shortage of about 7.3 million affordable homes as of 2025. This shortage affects not only asylum seekers but also low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Federal housing programs, run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), are underfunded and can only help about one in four people who qualify. As a result, many newcomers—including asylum seekers—have no stable place to live.
Evictions have also returned to or even surpassed pre-pandemic levels in many cities. When asylum seekers cannot find affordable housing or lose their shelter spot due to non-compliance with relocation orders, they often end up living on the streets, in parks, or in informal camps.
How Relocation Orders Work for Asylum Seekers
The process for asylum seekers in the United States 🇺🇸 typically follows these steps:
- Arrival and Initial Shelter Placement: Upon arrival, asylum seekers are placed in emergency shelters or temporary housing.
- Relocation Orders: Local or federal authorities may issue orders to move asylum seekers to other shelters or cities to manage overcrowding.
- Compliance Requirement: To keep their housing support, asylum seekers must follow these relocation orders.
- Refusal Consequences: If they refuse to move, they can lose access to shelter and housing assistance.
- Potential for Homelessness: Without shelter or affordable housing, asylum seekers may become homeless, living on the streets or in makeshift camps.
- Legal and Social Support: Some non-profit groups and legal aid organizations offer help, but their resources are limited.
Why Do Asylum Seekers Refuse to Move?
Many asylum seekers prefer to stay in large cities where they have family, friends, or community support. Moving to a new city or rural area can mean losing these connections and facing even greater isolation. Some worry about finding work, accessing legal help, or enrolling their children in school if they are sent far from established immigrant communities.
Local governments sometimes bus asylum seekers to other cities or states to reduce pressure on crowded shelters. However, this practice can create tension between cities and leave asylum seekers feeling powerless. When they refuse to be moved, they risk losing all housing support and becoming homeless.
Overcrowded Shelters and Strained Services
Emergency shelters in major U.S. cities are now overcrowded. Many are operating at or above capacity, leading to poor living conditions and limited privacy. Some shelters have long waiting lists, and others have had to turn people away.
Shelter staff and volunteers are stretched thin, trying to meet the needs of a growing population with limited resources. As more asylum seekers arrive and refuse relocation, the strain on these services increases, making it even harder to provide safe and stable housing for everyone.
Legal and Human Rights Concerns
Human rights organizations have raised serious concerns about these policies. They argue that tying housing support to relocation orders violates asylum seekers’ rights to adequate housing and protection. Some groups say that criminalizing refusal to move and failing to enforce fair housing laws make asylum seekers even more vulnerable.
In Belgium 🇧🇪, for example, Amnesty International reported in April 2025 that thousands of asylum seekers were denied reception and forced into homelessness. Many lived in abandoned buildings or on the streets, not because of a lack of resources, but because authorities wanted to reduce the number of asylum seekers in the country. This approach, critics say, puts politics ahead of basic human rights.
Background: How Did We Get Here?
Homelessness among asylum seekers has been a growing problem since the mid-2010s. Increased migration flows, stricter border controls, and a lack of investment in affordable housing have all played a role. During the COVID-19 pandemic, eviction bans and extra funding helped slow the rise in homelessness. But as those protections ended in 2024, the number of people without homes shot up again.
In both the United States 🇺🇸 and Europe, recent policies have focused more on border control and returning people to their home countries, often at the expense of housing and social support for those who remain.
Expert Perspectives and Analysis
Bruce D. Meyer and other researchers in 2025 highlighted that the recent rise in homelessness is largely driven by asylum seekers, not just local economic problems. Their findings challenge the idea that homelessness is only about job loss or high rents. Instead, they point to the unique challenges faced by people seeking asylum, including legal barriers, lack of support, and strict relocation policies.
Amnesty International and other human rights groups have called attention to the human cost of these policies. They warn that denying shelter and support to asylum seekers violates international agreements and basic standards of decency.
Housing advocates in the United States 🇺🇸 stress the need for more affordable housing, better enforcement of fair housing laws, and stronger tenant protections. They argue that helping asylum seekers find stable housing benefits everyone by reducing strain on emergency services and helping newcomers integrate into society.
Policy Implications and Practical Effects
The current approach has several major effects:
- Increased Risk of Homelessness: Asylum seekers who refuse relocation lose access to shelter and housing support, making them homeless.
- Shelter Overcrowding: Major cities struggle to house everyone, leading to poor conditions and long waits.
- Legal Challenges: Human rights groups are challenging these policies in court, arguing they violate both U.S. and international law.
- Community Impact: Overcrowded shelters and rising homelessness affect not just asylum seekers, but also local residents and city services.
What Solutions Are Being Proposed?
Advocates and experts are calling for several changes to address the crisis:
- Expand Affordable Housing: Increase funding for affordable housing programs, especially those run by HUD. This would help not just asylum seekers, but all low-income residents.
- Enforce Fair Housing Laws: Make sure that housing protections apply to everyone, regardless of immigration status. This includes preventing discrimination and illegal evictions.
- Tenant Rights Reforms: Strengthen tenant protections to prevent unfair evictions and ensure that newcomers have a fair chance to find and keep housing.
- Low-Barrier Shelters and Housing-First Models: Some cities are testing new approaches that make it easier for people to get shelter without strict rules or relocation requirements. These models focus on getting people into stable housing first, then providing support services.
- Legal Aid and Social Support: Increase funding for legal aid and social services to help asylum seekers understand their rights and find stable housing.
European Context: Similar Challenges, Different Policies
Europe faces many of the same problems. The European Union’s new Migration and Asylum Pact has increased border controls and made it harder for asylum seekers to access housing and support. In some countries, like Belgium 🇧🇪, authorities have openly admitted that they are denying shelter to asylum seekers as a way to discourage new arrivals.
Many European cities now see homelessness as a normal part of the asylum process. Asylum seekers and refugees often end up living in squats, abandoned buildings, or on the streets. The criminalization of undocumented migrants and lack of support make it even harder for them to find stable housing.
Future Outlook: What’s Next for Asylum Seekers and Homelessness?
Looking ahead, several developments could shape the situation:
- Increased Federal Funding: In the United States 🇺🇸, advocates are pushing for more money for HUD and affordable housing programs. If successful, this could help reduce homelessness among asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups.
- Policy Reforms: Some cities and states are exploring more humane approaches, but widespread change is slow. Housing-first models and low-barrier shelters show promise, but need more support.
- Legal Challenges: Human rights groups are taking legal action to challenge policies that force asylum seekers into homelessness. The outcomes of these cases could set important precedents.
- EU Migration Pact: The European Union’s focus on border control is likely to continue, but some member states are calling for more balanced policies that include social support and housing.
Practical Guidance for Asylum Seekers Facing Housing Challenges
If you are an asylum seeker in the United States 🇺🇸 and worried about housing, here are some steps you can take:
- Contact Local Shelters: Reach out to emergency shelters or housing programs in your area as soon as possible after arrival.
- Understand Relocation Orders: If you receive a relocation order, ask for information about your rights and what support is available in the new location.
- Seek Legal Help: Many non-profit organizations offer free or low-cost legal aid to asylum seekers. They can help you understand your options and fight unfair evictions.
- Know Your Rights: Learn about fair housing laws and tenant protections. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides information on housing rights and programs for newcomers. Visit the HUD official website for more details.
- Connect with Community Groups: Local immigrant and refugee organizations can offer support, advice, and sometimes help with finding housing.
Conclusion: A Humanitarian and Policy Challenge
The risk of homelessness for asylum seekers who refuse relocation is a growing humanitarian and policy challenge in the United States 🇺🇸 and Europe. Overcrowded shelters, strict relocation orders, and a shortage of affordable housing leave many newcomers with few options. As reported by VisaVerge.com, experts and advocates agree that more funding, better laws, and humane policies are needed to protect the rights and dignity of asylum seekers.
For now, the situation remains urgent. Without real changes, thousands of asylum seekers will continue to face the threat of homelessness, with serious consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Policymakers, service providers, and the public must work together to find solutions that respect both the law and the basic human need for safe, stable housing.
Learn Today
Asylum Seekers → Individuals seeking protection in a country due to fear of persecution or harm in their homeland.
Relocation Orders → Official directives requiring asylum seekers to move to designated shelters or locations to manage overcrowding.
Affordable Housing → Housing units priced below market rates intended to be accessible to low-income or vulnerable populations.
HUD → The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development oversees federal housing programs and policies.
Housing-First → An approach prioritizing immediate access to stable housing before addressing other social support needs.
This Article in a Nutshell
Asylum seekers in the U.S. face homelessness risks if refusing shelter relocations amid severe housing shortages and overcrowded emergency shelters, especially in cities like New York and Chicago. New policies since 2024 worsen this crisis, straining services and worsening vulnerable newcomers’ chances of stable housing and legal support.
— By VisaVerge.com
