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Israel axes plan to deport African migrants

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The Israeli Government informed the High Court of Justice yesterday that it had scrapped its plan to deport thousands of African migrants, stating that “there is no possibility of implementing involuntary deportations to a third country”.

The decision followed the failure of Israeli officials to agree deals with Uganda or Rwanda to grant them entry and eventual residency rights.

The Israel Government also announced that individuals from African countries with expired visas would be able to renew their visas every 60 days. But Israeli immigration officials said: “We will take action on the issue of the infiltrators, including by encouraging their voluntary departure or involuntary removal, according to what is legally possible.”

Last night, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had reached an agreement with Interior Minister Aryeh Deri to reopen the immigration detention facilities in Holot to enable immigration officers to detain illegal immigrants pending their deportation or voluntary removal.

Yesterday’s move comes after Netanyahu cancelled a previous agreement on 2 April with the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to relocate over 16,000 African asylum seekers from Israel to Western countries, with a similar number to be given temporary residence  in Israel.

The Government’s original plan was to give migrants $3,500 and deport them to Rwanda or Uganda, but this policy came under severe criticism and the Supreme Court froze the deportations in mid-March in response to a petition.

According to a 2017 report by the Population and Immigration Authority 34,187 individuals from Sudan and Eritrea are currently resident in Israel. Although more than a 1000 have been granted asylum the rest are a combination of failed asylum seekers, illegal immigrants and asylum applicants whose cases have yet to be determined.