The Washington Post: Israel Banishes Thousands of Africans

Israeli authorities have invited thousands of illegal immigrants from Africa to leave the country. It is reported by The Washington Post.

According to the publication, 45 of thousands of people who made it to Israel from Eritrea and Sudan have already received letters informing them that they have 30 days to leave the country. In this case, the government of the Jewish state will give them 3,5 thousands of dollars in cash and a one-way ticket to their homeland or another African country.

Otherwise, The Washington Post reports, illegal immigrants will be sent to the Saharonim closed prison. As the Israeli authorities explained, the harsh measures have the best intentions: in this way they hope to deter African migrants from the dangerous journey across the sea.

These measures have already caused outrage of illegal immigrants. In April 2015 of the year, a video was widely distributed on the Internet in which the Libyan Islamists crack down on three Eritreans: they were expelled from Israel and tried to reach Europe through Libya. In total, in recent years, about 9 of thousands of migrants agreed to deportation to third countries.

During the 2011-2013 years in Israel, about 68 thousand Africans were registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. After that, the number of immigrants from Africa fell sharply, as the Israeli authorities built a wall along the border with Egypt, thereby blocking one of the largest migration routes. Many of the illegal immigrants are now trying to obtain refugee status. The Office of the UN High Commissioner insists on the inadmissibility of their deportation, as Eritrea and Somalia are in a difficult domestic situation.