There are over 200,000 migrants who have come to New York City since the spring of 2022, according to City Hall. While all of them share the reality that they have lived in this city, their journeys here can vary drastically.

NY1 caught up with several people who have shared their stories over the years.

Sayed Haroon Amini crossed the southern border in 2023, making the long trip from Afghanistan. 

When he first spoke with NY1 a few months after arriving, he hadn't applied for asylum yet and as a result, did not have work authorization to pursue the engineering jobs he believed he was qualified for.

Now, he has all his paperwork in and is working for a multi-billion dollar construction company in Manhattan. He is renting an apartment and thinking about pursuing a doctorate degree.

He said he hopes New York is his home for the long-term.

That decision will be up to the U.S. government, which will adjudicate his asylum claim.

He said he was wanted by the Taliban for comments he made online, and that the group even beat his father looking for his location.

Data NY1 has obtained shows that deportation orders in the state have risen substantially in the past year. In fact, they are at the highest levels since at least 1998.

It could be one explanation why NY1 could not reach several of the migrants profiled in the past.

On the other hand, the wait for asylum can take a very long time.

Niurka Melendez had to wait almost nine years for her case to be decided.

She, her husband and teenage son received word last month their case was granted.

Click on video above to hear more about the stories of asylum seekers.