The New Israeli Immigration Policy

Somehow or other, for reasons that escape me entirely, this story has been completely overlooked. What are blogs good for if not to bring such stories to your attention.

In Israel, the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu is offering African refugees a one-way ticket out of the country. It has offered an enticing bounty of $3,500 to those who leave voluntarily and will be cutting subsidies and then deporting those who do not. Does this remind you of anyone else’s immigration policy?

Zero Hedge has the story (via Maggie’s Farm):

Netanyahu is staging a crackdown on illegal immigration – offering refugees from Sudan, Eritrea and other African countries who illegally entered Israel via Egypt a relatively generous sum to relocate back to their home countries, or to move to a designated third-party country that has agreed to take in the migrants.

The government believes there are 38,000 such immigrants in the country. And while many of the migrants have applied for refugee status – claiming to have fled war and persecution - instead of processing their applications, the ruling party instead chooses to classify them as economic migrants with relatively few rights.

Rwanda and Uganda are two countries that have offered to accept the Israeli migrants.

Netanyahu’s offer of $3,500 and a plane ticket is good through March, at which point the government will begin a crackdown on illegal migrant communities that could result in large numbers of migrants being deported or imprisoned, according to Reuters.

Just like in the US and parts of Europe, many of the migrants live in slums and work in low-paying jobs. They’re vulnerable to crime because they lack access to the country’s banking system.

Reuters reports more on the story:

"We have expelled about 20,000 and now the mission is to get the rest out," Netanyahu said.

An immigration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there are some 38,000 migrants living illegally in Israel, and some 1,420 are being held in two detention centres. "Beyond the end of March, those who leave voluntarily will receive a significantly smaller payment that will shrink even more with time, and enforcement measures will begin," the official said, referring to incarceration.

Some have lived for years in Israel and work in low-paying jobs that many Israelis shun. Israel has granted asylum to fewer than one percent of those who have applied and has a years-long backlog of applicants.

It's good to stay up to date on the world news.