1,000 African migrants leave Israel willingly
Officials say more Sudanese, Eritrean infiltrators leaving Israel due to
fear of incarceration, trouble finding work
Itamar Eichner
Published:
11.13.12, 12:32 /
More than 1,000 Sudanese and Eritrean
<
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4300924,00.html> migrants have
voluntarily left
<
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4304398,00.html> Israel over the
past two months, according to data released by the Population, Immigration
and Borders Authority.
A source who is familiar with the issue told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper
that the trend is likely to grow.
Some 36,000 Eritreans and about 15,000 north
<
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4296544,00.html> Sudanese
migrants have infiltrated Israel over the past few years. International
treaties forbid Israel to deport them because their lives would be at risk
in their home countries. They do not fall under the definition of refugees,
so they have been living in Israel under the "collective protection" that
has been afforded them.
Local authorities assumed they would want to remain in the country for good,
but apparently this is not the case. Yedioth Ahronoth has learned that since
the beginning of 2012 some 1,000 north Sudanese migrants and a few dozen
Eritreans have left Israel willingly after asking the Population Authority
for assistance in organizing their departure. In light of the request, some
of the migrants were issued passports by the Eritrean Embassy in Israel and
returned to their home country via
<
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4303616,00.html> Amman and Addis
Ababa.
Israel has kept the news of their departure secret for fear that it would be
accused of encouraging them to leave or forcing them out of the country.
Population Authority officials say the trend is expanding due to Interior
Minister Eli <
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4297054,00.html>
Yishai's decision to incarcerate the infiltrators upon their arrival in
Israel and prevent them from finding jobs after their release. In October,
according to the statistics, 260 migrants returned to Sudan, compared with
only 10 migrants who returned to the African country willingly in January.
"Nearly all of the infiltrators are seeking work. Their only goal is to send
money to their families. If they will be held in a detention facility and
not permitted to work, they will all want to go back home," one official
said.
A Foreign Ministry official said more African migrants are leaving
voluntarily due to newly-enacted laws against the hiring of infiltrators.
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Received on Tue Nov 13 2012 - 10:45:32 EST
