Denver leveled up the ante when it comes to giving supports to migrants after it shifted from shelters, and instead launched the Denver Asylum Seekers Program (DASP) where migrants are given the chance to have better opportunities and look forward to better lives.
According to NBC News, the program will provide migrants with six months of housing, language instruction, job training and even the legal support that they need if they seek to file asylum claims.
Jon Ewing, a spokesperson of the city, said that there are already 800 people enrolled in the program and they are actually expecting more to join at the end of the month.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, during an interview on Wednesday, said that their goal was to turn crisis into opportunities. He narrated that there have been people arriving in the city who were desperate to wok and to have the skills and talent. There are also employers who are still trying to find employees for their businesses, and are in fact, “desperate” to hire migrants.
“What we wanted to do was to take those people that are looking to work and connect them to the training and the skills centered on jobs where we have the greatest need. So what we did is create this first-of-its-kind program in the country, which is this asylum-seeker program,” Johnston said.
As of April, migrants who were previously in shelters have already enrolled with the DASP. They are now applying for asylum. They only need to wait for six months before they would be able to be issued their work permits.
“We tried to use that six-month waiting period as an opportunity instead of a problem,” Johnston further explained.
So while waiting for their work permits, those enrolled in the program will receive English classes, and financial literacy instruction. In addition, they could get certifications that are often required by industries.
“So when that work authorization comes, you already have the skills, the training, the authorization, the certification to step onto a job on Day One and be a huge asset to a Denver employer,” Johnston explained.
According to CBS News, the newest program will help stabilize the city’s budget. Denver is looking at spending around $90 million on its migrant services and on DASP.
“We have a new population with new needs that requires a different structure,” Johnston explained.
“We will no longer move forward with a hotel infrastructure that offers 14 or 42 days stay because that is not the right structure for the services we have,” he added.
