NEW YORK: The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, has defended his debit card scheme for illegal migrants under which each family would get over 15,200 dollars per year.
Speaking at a weekly press conference along with deputy mayors and others at the City Hall, Mayor Adams defended the recently launched 53 million dollar scheme in collaboration with the New Jersey Bank Mobility.
The mayor was of the view that there was now no space left in the city for migrants and people were forced to sleep on the footpaths.
In reply to questions from media persons, the mayor said that the debit card scheme for illegal immigrants would save the taxpayers money and would help in saving food from going into waste.
Under the debit card scheme, each person would get 345 dollars per month, a family of three members 932 dollars per month while a family with four members and two of them below the age of 17 years would be paid 1,250 dollars per month.
Moreover, a family of having eight members would be given 2,200 dollars every month for the purchase of essential household items, the mayor added.
He also said that initially 500 people would be included in the scheme, adding that under the scheme the city government would save around 7.2 million dollars per year.
It may be mentioned here that according to official data the number of illegal migrants in New York City has crossed over the figure of 170,000.
Mayor Eric Adams has claimed the pilot program would start with 500 families staying at The Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter and cost $52 million.
It was supposed to save money by allowing migrants to buy their own food and baby supplies, which officials say will save $600,000 per month and $7.2 million annually, according to a report.
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