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Protests throw spotlight on Israel’s African migrant pressures

Hundreds of African women and children marched across the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday to demonstrate outside the offices of the United Nations and the embassy of the United States. It was the latest

Hundreds of African women and children marched across the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday to demonstrate outside the offices of the United Nations and the embassy of the United States.

It was the latest in an unprecedented wave of protests by African asylum seekers, who fear the Israeli government is trying to force them out of the country.

Since a new law came into force last month, the asylum seekers – most of whom are from Sudan and Eritrea – say the authorities have been instructing many of them to leave the cities and towns where they have been living and report to a detention centre in the Negev desert in southern Israel.

The new law gives the authorities the power to hold them in the centre indefinitely, putting them under intense pressure to agree to leave Israel voluntarily.

The African immigrants began arriving in Israel in 2006 and it is estimated there are currently 53,000 in the country.

‘Seeking protection’

“The reason I am here is because I fled violence and persecution back home, the on-going genocide,” says Dahar Adam who is from the Darfur region of Sudan.

“I came here seeking protection as a refugee and have been here almost seven years, but I didn’t get any kind of status or recognition as a refugee.”

“We requested many times, but they denied and neglected us, they don’t want to take this problem seriously,” he said.

In a rare public rebuke, the UN Refugee Agency has accused the Israeli government of following a policy that “creates fear and chaos amongst asylum seekers,” and warned that putting asylum seekers under pressure to return home, without first considering why they had fled, could amount to a violation of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

‘Seeking protection’

“The reason I am here is because I fled violence and persecution back home, the on-going genocide,” says Dahar Adam who is from the Darfur region of Sudan.

“I came here seeking protection as a refugee and have been here almost seven years, but I didn’t get any kind of status or recognition as a refugee.”

“We requested many times, but they denied and neglected us, they don’t want to take this problem seriously,” he said.

In a rare public rebuke, the UN Refugee Agency has accused the Israeli government of following a policy that “creates fear and chaos amongst asylum seekers,” and warned that putting asylum seekers under pressure to return home, without first considering why they had fled, could amount to a violation of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Many of the Africans live in a run-down area of south Tel Aviv, attracted to the city by the chance of finding work in the many restaurants, cafes and hotels.

At the entrance to a dingy, dilapidated apartment block, I met Zena Mebrahtu, a 27-year-old Eritrean, who invited me to follow him up the stairs to see the room that is now his home.

He shares the bed and single electric cooking ring with his younger brother.

The other rooms which make up what was once an apartment, have all been rented out individually to Sudanese and Eritrean immigrants.

But Zena knows he is lucky. He has a fridge, a television and even a surfboard leaning against the wall, given to him by a friend.

“I have a good job,” he says, “I have Israeli friends and they gave me a job.”

“My [African] friends are living in the worst condition, in a room like this with five people.”

Zena’s neighbourhood has a particularly high concentration of immigrants, and relations with the local Israeli population are tense.

“There are people who behave well with me,” he says.

“But there are more who don’t like me, don’t like refugees and don’t like me staying here.

“They say to me you are dirty, you don’t know how to live, you need to go home.

“Most of them think I came to Israel to get money.”

On the street outside, a local Israeli man Yaniv Avigad poured out his feelings about the immigrants.

“They are destroying our lives in many ways,” he said.

“There’s a lot of violence. I have lived in the neighbourhood ever since I was a little kid and they always said this was a bad neighbourhood.

“But I’ve never encountered anything like it since they came here five years ago.”

“I feel very scared, it is not my country any more, it is theirs.”

Mr Avigad believes the government is not being tough enough and wants new laws which will stop the African immigrants renting rooms.

“I think then they will go home.”

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the immigrants that their protests will make no difference to the government’s policy of removing “illegal infiltrators”.

The increasingly shrill debate about the African immigrants prompted President Shimon Peres to speak out last week.

He reminded Israelis that the country had signed the UN convention on refugees and this prohibited the deportation of people to countries where their lives would be in danger.

He added: “We remember what it means to be refugees and strangers.”

And all this even though the government says it has successfully stopped almost all illegal immigration into Israel, with the completion last year of a fence across the border with Egypt – the route which the Sudanese, Eritreans and other Africans had been using.

Protests throw spotlight on Israel’s African migrant pressures

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10 COMMENTS
  • Kombishtato January 16, 2014

    Keep on marching, even if the road to your freedom is going to be long, you will get something out of it. It may in the form of extension your residency papers, renewal, recognition to your asylum process or some form of transfer to a safe third country.

    The words of the Israeli president Shimon Peres are encouraging which you may need to build on from other policy and opinion makers in the land:

    “He reminded Israelis that the country had signed the UN convention on refugees and this prohibited the deportation of people to countries where their lives would be in danger.

    He added: “We remember what it means to be refugees and strangers.””

    The UNHCR needs to talk too to the big powers the urgency of your plight, however, given the glut of refugees from Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the Saudi migrant workers deported, little can be accomplished from the UNHCR.

    There are house cleaning issues the Eritrean and Darfur refugees need to do to clear their images. Many Eritreans are hard working but significant number of Eritreans are tarnishing your image. The number of crimes petty and serious committed by Eritreans is very high. There is so much fighting among Eritreans in Israel after hard drinking in Eritrean bars, petty theft, purse snatching and property damage is common. There are also some reports of rape and murder committed by Eritreans on each other and against others. Clear your image, clean the garbage you throw around, volunteer in your neighborhood, report illegal criminal activities around you, show you are a worthy, civilized, morally clean, hard working people.
    If you want to be accepted, even temporarily, in Israel, respect the law and do what descent Israelis do. Above all, respect yourselves.

  • Kombishtato January 16, 2014

    Please allow me to congratulate the Eritrean cycling coach ato Mussie Asihel.

    Eritrean Cycling Coach Mussie Ashel wins Africa’s Distinguished Coach Award

    Asmara, 16 January 2014 – The National Cycling Federation stated that Eritrean Coach Mussie Ashel has won Africa’s Distinguished Coach Award.

    It further indicated that such award would give impetus to the triumph being demonstrated by the nation in the sports domain, besides fostering morale among the coaches who have been making significant input as regards nurturing competent cyclists.

    It is to be recalled that Mussie Asehel scored vibrant victories coaching the National Team in the championship tournaments in Burkina Faso, Egypt and others.

    • Kebiz January 16, 2014

      Kombishtato
      R u insane or lunatic? Wh cares about a damn medal when Eritrean kidney& heart is sold inSinai our women are raped and treated like dirt inIsral

      • Kombishtato January 16, 2014

        Kebiz wrote, “Eritrean kidney& heart is sold in Sinai our women are raped ”

        If you care about the slavery, rape and murder of Eritreans in Arab slavery, then organize a demonstration against the Egyptian, Libyan, Saudi Arabian, Djibouti and Yemen embassies or the Arab League. Defend your sisters, wives and daughters, as the brave Eritrean heroines and heroes such as Meron E, Elsa Chyrum, Dr alganesh, aba Mussie, Dr Yebio, Assena and Erena are doing.

        • ahmed saleh January 17, 2014

          Kombishtato
          My issue with you in this forum since we know each other is your attempt to divert the important subject of discussion .

        • selamwit January 17, 2014

          kombishtato my brother, maybe kebiz does already organize things for defending our people.
          don’t you think so? there are different ways to get involved..;-)
          if not, i cosign and add:
          let’s get important things done!

  • hmmm January 16, 2014

    In order for the demonstration efforts to be fruitful, it has to be repeated outside Israel particularly in England and USA. The Israel government don’t want to be embarrassed in front of citizens of those countries so they will change their attitude sooner or later.

  • ambabi January 17, 2014

    PI your time is up better sooner than later. Hope you will leave Eritrea for Israel and the true Eritreans can switch you. Better safe your life and your family’s life. Time is ticking better hurry before may 24. Demhit will not save you trust me better listen to WediVacaro.

  • nobel January 17, 2014

    I love my African sisters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=napljVE1ZnQ

  • rr January 17, 2014

    Isn’t it amazing that Eritreans always demand their rights from any other country but not their own.
    Eritrean own tyrant is comfortable after creating all the problem Eritreans are in. Is there any one demonstrating to make him release political prisoners? Is there any one demonstrating to make him end the lawlessness and kidnapping inside Eritrea?

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