Christelle N. Onwu has been recognized by City & State’s NYC 40 Under 40 Rising Stars’ class of 2021, The Assembly of the State of New York, and the New York City Council. Christelle is a 2021 CUP fellow, Coro New York Leadership 2017 ICLP fellow, Sifi Certified, and mid-level professional with over ten years of work experience in the government, non-profit, and international sectors. She is driven to foster relations between various communities through coalition building, mobilization, and political participation using a non-discriminatory lens. She is a community advocate, public servant, entrepreneur, and community leader. Christelle earned her bachelor’s degree at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Social Work Policy at Columbia University School of School Work.
Historically, the number of migrants from Africa’s 54 countries has been so low that U.S. authorities classified them as “other,” a category that has grown exponentially, driven recently, officials say, by fast-rising numbers from the continent.
According to government data obtained by The Times, the number of Africans apprehended at the southern border jumped to 58,462 in the fiscal year 2023 from 13,406 in 2022. The top African countries in 2023 were Mauritania, at 15,263; Senegal, at 13,526; and Angola and Guinea, which each had more than 4,000.
Nonprofits that work on the border said that the trend has continued, with the absolute number and share of migrants from Africa climbing in recent months as potential destinations in Europe narrow.
