Edenwald Mosque providing shelter to migrants
A mosque in Edenwald has welcomed hundreds of migrants seeking refuge, but say that the current state of their mosque is making it hard to provide for those seeking asylum.
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A mosque in Edenwald is opening its doors to provide housing to migrants.
Tarps cover the front yard of the Masjid Ansaru-Deene where there are over 150 migrants living, sleeping and eating.
Niass says he receives last-minute calls that people are being dropped off at the mosque and says he has been housing migrants at the house of worship for three years.
"We welcome all of them because we can't deny nobody," Niass said.
Over the last year, the migrant crisis has left more than 150 men at Niass' door. He has had to convert every inch of his yard into a shelter.
Last winter, the city moved a majority of those living at the mosque to a shelter on Randall's Island. But Niass says ever since then, busloads of people continue to be dropped off at his door, including Sunday when 10 new people walked through his gate.
Most of the migrants are single men from Senegal who search of a better life.
Cheikhou Niang has been living in a makeshift bedroom in the front yard of the mosque for two months. He said he is waiting to be able to work.
According to city data, more than 107,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City over the last year.
"There's no resources to assist or help them. We don't mind for them to come in. I mean, we have to help, we help, but someone has to give us help to do the job," said Eric Stevenson, spokesperson for the mosque.
The mosque is not a city-run or authorized site.
