Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his desire for immediate deportation of Eritrean refugees and migrants involved in a violent clash in Tel Aviv. He has also instructed the development of a plan to remove all African migrants residing in the country.
The Prime Minister’s statement follows a series of violent protests by opposing factions of Eritreans in south Tel Aviv, resulting in numerous injuries. During a special ministerial meeting convened to address the aftermath of the violence, Netanyahu called for stringent actions against the rioters, including the expulsion of those who participated.
Additionally, Netanyahu urged the ministers to present him with strategies for the expulsion of other undocumented migrants, acknowledging that certain measures aimed at pressuring the refugees to leave were invalidated by the Supreme Court.
It is important to note that international law prohibits Israel from forcibly repatriating migrants to countries where their lives or freedoms may be in jeopardy.
Prior to an official visit to Cyprus, Netanyahu stated that the ministerial team was working towards deporting 1,000 individuals who supported the Eritrean government and were involved in the violent incidents on Saturday. He argued that these individuals lacked refugee status and encouraged them to return to their country of origin if they were supportive of the regime.
Approximately 25,000 African migrants, predominately from Sudan and Eritrea, currently reside in Israel, asserting that they fled conflict or oppression. While Israel recognizes only a small number of them as asylum seekers, considering the majority as economic migrants, the country contends that it possesses no legal obligation to provide them with sanctuary.
In light of the unrest, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the protest site to express his support for the police and advocate for the detention of individuals who violated the law until their deportation. Ben-Gvir faced opposition from some individuals who heckled him and urged him to return home during his walk with a police escort.
