PORTLAND, Maine (WGAN) The city of Portland is in the middle of the biggest asylum seeker crisis the city has ever seen.

Since January 1st, Portland has been sheltering over 1,500 asylum seekers. Most are from Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All city shelters are at capacity and many asylum seekers are faced with an uncertain future, as they don’t know where they will be living next.  

We spoke to Coeur Ngabo, an English and computer teacher at the Salvation Army, who is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For decades, Congolese people have been subjected to weak governances that have caused an outbreak of sexual violence, human rights violations, extreme poverty, and political unrest. 

Pictured here is Coeur teaching computer class at the Salvation Army.

Due to Coeur’s own political alignments during the 18-year presidency of Joseph Kabila, he says he was afraid to leave his house. Whenever he would leave his home, he would tell his wife “If you don’t see me in two months you can start a new life. That means something bad happened to me.” 

The political conditions in his country were that horrific. Coeur and his wife finally left their country in 2018 — and everything that was familiar to them — just to escape being killed. A long journey would ensue, as they had to travel through numerous other countries before finally getting to the United States. 

Although life in America is not what Coeur imagined and unlike the “Hollywood” movies he pictured America to be— he and his wife are happy to be safe with their two boys in Portland, Maine. America has given his family the opportunity to get out of harm’s way, and he is eternally grateful to America for giving his family protection from the atrocities back home.  

Coeur told us that he never imagined coming to America because of the language barrier. He speaks French and always dreamed of living in Belgium or Quebec.  America was never on his wish list because of the native English language. He informed us that if you spoke English in the Democratic Republic of the Congo you were looked at with complete admiration and with utmost respect.  

Coeur shared with us that, for the most part, Americans and Portland residents treat asylum seekers well. However, not all asylum seekers share that experience. Coeur believes that it’s due to a lack of understanding why they’ve chosen to come to America.  

He shared with us that some Americans see asylum seekers as  “Strangers who come here to take our food, to take our jobs, and to take our beautiful girls.” Regardless, he has compassion towards these Americans who don’t treat asylum seekers well and says that he “understands it because they don’t know us, and they need time to know us.” Coeur asks Americans and Portland residents to show empathy as many asylum seekers are fleeing dangerous situations and are dealing with past traumas, while also trying to adapt to a new way of life. 

Many asylum seekers including Coeur are grateful to America and Portland for the safety that the nation and city continues to promise them. Although they are finally safe from danger in the largest city in Maine, many asylees are begging the United States for additional help.  

Since January 1st, asylum seekers have been faced with an abundance of issues in Portland, including minimal housing options, access to food, wait times of months to acquire work permits, and other concerns. Additionally, Coeur told us that asylum seekers carry with them past traumas from their home countries that require additional care beyond the basics. 

Once asylum seekers begin to get situated in America, the biggest issue they face is finding shelter. Even temporary emergency shelter is difficult to come by. With most shelters at full capacity, many people are left sleeping on the streets, including pregnant women, children, and families.   

We spoke to asylum seeker Pollo about this issue. Pollo, who was living at the Family Shelter, told us through an interpreter “This is one of the biggest issues we have people who were in the forest for days walking by feet to get here in the U.S. And when they come here — they come here in Maine and don’t have any place to sleep.”

This photo was taken outside of the Family Shelter, where many are faced with living on the street.

Many shelters in Maine are making every effort to help provide basic resources to asylum seekers. We spoke to family center shelters program manager Mike Guthrie, who told us their main goal is to help find housing for those who are experiencing homelessness. He tells us this is an all-hands-on-deck situation, where everyone, at all levels within the city, is trying to help.  

Beyond finding shelter, asylum seekers are faced with other problems, such as not knowing when their next meal will be. Asylees have been given vouchers for food, but now with limited food to give out, the vouchers are difficult to come by.  

The Family Shelter is pictured above.

Ngabo tells us asylees have also been going to charities to find food. Unfortunately, by the time they get there, the food is expired or within days of expiring. Coeur explains how even though the food they receive is expired, many individuals are forcing themselves to savor the expired food because they don’t know when they will eat again. 

We asked Coeur Ngabo’s class at the Salvation Army what the city of Portland and the federal government can do to help. Ngabo interpreted one student’s response: “If they give immigrants the opportunity to get a work permit, they can work and find themselves houses, so if they reduce the frame of time to get work permit, you will not see so many people outside.”  

Here is a picture of one of the Salvation Army’s computer classes.

With the Expo shelter closing in August, the city of Portland is continuing to seek alternative housing options for the more than 300 asylum seekers who have been living there. The city is trying to be proactive by converting a building on Riverside Industrial Parkway into a 180-bed shelter. Unfortunately, it is being set up to house only individuals, so asylum seeking families at the Expo will not be able to move in.

The Exposition Center is pictured above. 

We spoke to asylum seeker Mafuta about this issue.  He is currently living at the Expo and has only been in the United States for three months. He shared the concerns he has for he, his wife, and the future for his newborn; every person he has called to find housing says that they don’t take general assistance.

WGAN also spoke to an asylum seeker who is taking an English class at the Salvation Army regarding the housing crisis. He touched on his concerns and told us that he and hundreds of others are unsure about their future as they have no place to go, as the “Shelters are always full.” Many asylees are left with little to no hope, but Ernesto Mambo still has dreams in furthering his education and making a difference here in Portland.

Here is Oxford Street, where many asylum seekers reside. 

City leaders sent a letter to Governor Janet Mills asking the governor to support a proposal to house up to 600 asylum seekers on the campus of Unity Environmental University. As of this report, there are no updates to share.