Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of breaking the law by forcing thousands of Sudanese and Eritreans migrants to leave the country. It claims that some were detained or tortured after they had been deported.
"The New York-based group said in its report that it had documented seven cases in which citizens of Sudan were detained and interrogated in the capital, Khartoum, on their return," says the New York Times.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In response, the Israeli government has said that its policies of migrants and asylum-seekers complied with international laws.
When did the African refugees and asylum seekers arrive in Israel?
Many Sudanese and Eritreans began arriving in Israel via the Egyptian Sinai border in large number in 2006. "By December 2012, about 37,000 Eritreans and 14,000 Sudanese had entered the country", says the BBC.
How many of them remain in Israel?
That remains unclear, but only one Eritrean and two Sudanese applicants were recognised by Israel as refugees. According to the Human Right Watch report, 6,400 Sudanese and 367 Eritreans has officially left Israel by June 2014.
Why are so many African migrants trying to get to Israel?
African migrants in Israel are mostly from war-torn regions such as Eritrea and Darfur. They arrived in Israel after taking a long journey across the Egyptian Sinai, where reports suggest that they face the risk of kidnap and torture.
What is Israel's official policy towards refugees?
Under its Prevention of Infiltration Law, Israel detains asylum seekers without charge and holds them in a camp called Holot in the Negev desert for an unspecified period of time. During that time they do not have access to non-emergency healthcare, work permits or other social services, but they are offered airfare and other stipends if they decide to leave.
What are the allegations in this case?
According to Human Rights Watch, Israel:
- violates international laws relating to the 'non-refoulement' of refugees – ie the convention that they should not be returned to the hands of their persecutors – by "unlawfully coercing" them to go home or to other countries in which they face dangers, such as Uganda, Ethiopia or Rwanda
- does not grant asylum seekers fair and legal asylum procedures.
- pressurises asylum seekers to leave by limiting their access to jobs and healthcare.
What does Israel say in response?
"Israel says its policies on illegal immigrants and refugees comply with international law," the BBC reports. Last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described asylum-seekers as "illegal infiltrators flooding the country", The Guardian reports, and in July he said that repatriating African asylum seekers is "essential to the welfare of Israel's citizens and for its future as a Jewish and democratic nation", according to Al Jazeera.
-
Homo Floresiensis: Earth’s real life ‘hobbits’Under the Radar New research suggests that ‘early human pioneers’ in Australia interbred with archaic species of hobbits at least 60,000 years ago
-
Homes by renowned architectsFeature Featuring a Leonard Willeke Tudor Revival in Detroit and modern John Storyk design in Woodstock
-
Looming drone ban has farmers and farm-state Republicans anxiousIN THE SPOTLIGHT As congressional China-hawks work to limit commercial drone sales from Beijing, a growing number of conservative lawmakers are sounding an agricultural alarm
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Israel jolted by ‘shocking’ settler violenceIN THE SPOTLIGHT A wave of brazen attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank has prompted a rare public outcry from Israeli officials
-
Why these Iraqi elections are so importantThe Explainer The US and Israel are increasingly pressuring Baghdad to tackle Iran-backed militants, while weakened Iran sees Iraq as a vital remaining ally
-
Israel arrests ex-IDF legal chief over abuse video leakSpeed Read Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi had resigned from her post last week
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Gaza’s reconstruction: the steps to rebuildingIn The Spotlight Even the initial rubble clearing in Gaza is likely to be fraught with difficulty and very slow
