News
The Israeli Ministry of Interior takes harder line against refugees Following the Ministry's new decision, 11,000 asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea are left without means to provide themselves, among them about 1,000 children 60 asylum seekers, 26 men who work at the "Isrotel" Hotel in Eilat and their wives and children, arrived to the Ministry of Interior Office in Lod yesterday in order to renew their restrictedrelease papers. According to these papers, they could only reside "north from the city of Hadera or South to the city of Gedera". However, when they received their new release papers yesterday, they were surprised to find out that from now on they could no longer reside in the southern city of Eilat either, where they have been staying for the last 1-2 years. The head of the "Infiltrators' Screening Unit", Mr. Shalom Yehoshua, informed the surprised employers that the decision to restrict asylum seekers' stay in Eilat was the result of a meeting held yesterday by several ministries. Mr. Yehoshua added that the Immigration Authority's Enforcement Unit will start enforcing the new regulation by imposing a financial penalty on those who employ asylum seekers in Eilat. He claimed that as apposed to previous public statements made by the head of the Immigration Authority, Mr. Ya'akov Ganot, the release papers do not allow asylum seekers to work while they reside in restricted areas. There are about 13,000 asylum seekers in Israel, among them approximately 1,000 children. 600 asylum seekers from Darfur either received, or are about to receive, their temporary residence permit. In addition, 2,000 asylum seekers from Eritrea hold a B1 work permit which they can renew every 3 months. An additional number of over 11,000 asylum seekers, who hold the restricted-release papers, work and are able to support their families, renewing the papers monthly at the Ministry of Interior. So far, with these papers, asylum seekers could only work north from Hadera or South to Gedera. As from yesterday, they can no longer reside in Eilat either, a city where over 2,000 of them live and work. However, the statement made by Mr. Yehoshua is far worse, since it takes back the non-written agreement to allow employers to hire asylum seekers who legally reside in the restricted areas. Left without a choice, "Isrotel" sent over 200 dismissal letters to asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea, many of whom have families and reside in housing provided to them by the company. Once the letters' 30 days notice is over, the families will have to leave their work and the company's residence. They will have no place to go to, not even to their friends, other asylum seekers who are in the same situation. Human rights organizations protest the Ministry of Interior's policy, which aims to discourage more asylum seekers from trying to find refuge in Israel. Such policy is illegal, immoral and do not achieve its goal since genocide survivors and other refugees keep on escaping for their lives. The "Refugees' Rights Forum" calls on the Israeli government to develop a policy which addresses the legal and moral obligations that Israel has committed to by signing the International Refugees Convention, obligations based on the values of democracy and human rights. For More details: Sigal Rozen at 054-8177845 | ||