The Plight of African Asylum Seekers in Israel

The Plight of African Asylum Seekers in Israel

On December 10, which, incidentally, was also the International Human Rights day, Israel passed an amendment to the “prevention of infiltration” law, which further deteriorated the already fragile state of African asylum seekers in Israel. The amendment allows, among other things, the indefinite incarceration of asylum seekers in an “open” detention center. The approval of the amendment instantly led to police raids on the neighborhoods where asylum seekers reside, mass arrests and incarceration notifications. At the same time, the state has limited the asylum seekers’ opportunity for visa renewals, rendering them vulnerable to arrests. This was the last straw for the asylum seeking community, who has suffered years of mistreatment and injustice. They could no longer stay silent against the grave violations against them. So last week they organized strikes and held mass demonstrations demanding their rights according to International Refugee and Human Rights law.

Some 53,000 African asylum seekers, with the majority being from Eritrea and Sudan, currently reside in Israel. Eritreans and Sudanese are not permitted to apply for asylum in Israel, and are consistently referred to as “infiltrators”, or “migrant workers” at best. Israel does, however, recognize the fact that they cannot be expelled to their country of origin where their lives are in danger, and so they are granted group protection. This protection prevents them from being deported, but in most cases does not entitle them to any social or health benefits, nor does it grant them with a legal work permit, which makes them susceptible to exploitation by their superiors. Their visas need to be renewed periodically, normally every three months.

The influx of African asylum seekers into Israel, through the Sinai desert, started following the demonstration in Mustafa Mahmoud Square in Cairo, where at least 28 Sudanese asylum seekers were killed as the police dispersed a peaceful demonstration. They had been protesting against the discrimination and mistreatment they had experienced in Egypt. The incident led to massive arrests, deportations and threats to those involved in the protest to leave the country. Since then, the situation for African asylum seekers deteriorated in Egypt, and many of those fleeing from Sudan and Eritrea continued to Israel, where they assumed they would be protected in accordance to refugee law. On this journey, several thousands were kidnaped from as far as the Sudanese-Eritrean border by human trafficking networks run by Bedouins in Sinai. Those kidnaped where held in torture camps in the dessert, sometimes for months, before their relatives were able to deliver the high ransom for their release.

However, the personal stories and background of these people are not of interest to Israel, who is a signatory state on the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol. It seems like signing conventions is one thing, but actually following through with the obligations that come with it, is another. You see, Israel is a small country, a Jewish country; “if we accept them, tomorrow we will have the whole African continent on our border”. These are some of the arguments that the Israeli government uses to rid themselves of their responsibilities.

Over the years, the African asylum seekers have been blamed for bringing diseases, unemployment, crime, and threatening the “Jewish identity” of Israel. The only solutions for the asylum seekers that were ever really considered on the government level were how to stop them from coming in and how to get rid of those who had already entered the country.

Hate speeches against Africans delivered by members of Knesset (MKs) incited xenophobia and racism, especially in South Tel-Aviv’s poorest and most underprivileged neighborhoods where many asylum seekers reside, and they were made the scape goat for decades of neglect by the authorities. Violent hate crimes against Africans followed a rally against the asylum seekers in the neighborhoods after MKs Dani Danon, Michael Ben-Ari and Miri Regev provoked against them, calling them, among other things “A cancer in our body”  (May 2012, MK Miri Regev). In 2012 hate crimes towards Africans included beatings, vandalism of African owned businesses and arson of an African daycare center in Tel Aviv and a residential apartment in Jerusalem.

Towards the end of 2012, when the fence along the Egyptian border was being completed and the entrance of more asylum seekers into Israel was virtually halted, it was time to take care of those already inside Israel. Former minister of interior, Eli Yishai was not ashamed to announce his plan, saying “until I can deport them I'll lock them up to make their lives miserable” (August 2012). Indeed, the Israeli government has been consistent in making their lives miserable. So much so that thousands decided to risk their lives and return to their homelands after being pressured into agreeing to ”voluntary deportation”. There have been reports that upon their return to their countries some were imprisoned, tortured and even executed.

Now, after the approval of the amendment to the infiltration law, African asylum seekers face indefinite incarceration in an “open” detention center, whose location, curfew and role calls make it anything but open. In refusing to review their asylum claims and to renew their visas, Israel leaves the asylum seekers with an impossible choice of either remaining imprisoned indefinitely or risking their lives and “voluntarily” returning to their countries.

January 22 has been set as the International Solidarity day with the African asylum seekers in Israel. In Stockholm, we will demonstrate in front of the Israeli Embassy and voice the asylum seekers’ demands:

1. Cancel the new amendment to the Prevention of Infiltration Law; stop all arrests; and release all asylum seekers and refugees from prisons.
2. Start respecting the rights of asylum seekers, including social rights, health and welfare benefits.
3. Check individual asylum claims in a fair and transparent way.

For more details go to:

https://www.facebook.com/events/566247396786285/

Written by Netta Beer: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.