Posiodoartigo

15mai2015 TheWashingtonPost BYWILLIAMBOOTH

IsraelwantsAfricanmigrantsout.
Now. 3
RefugeesfromEritreaandSudanareofferedcash,aticketand30days.
Otherwise,itsprison.
HOLOT,ISRAELAsEuropestrugglestostemaspringfloodofmigrantsfromAfricaandtheMiddle
EasttryingtocrossadeadlyMediterraneanSea,Israelhasbeguntotoughenitsstancetowardrefugees,
tellingunwantedAfricansheretheymustleavenoworfaceanindefinitestayinprison.

PHOTOSBYDAVIDVAAKNINFORTHEWASHINGTONPOST

AfricanmigrantsoutsidetheHolotdetentioncenter,whichhouses2,000Africansinthe
NegevdesertinsouthernIsrael.Thenearestcityisanhoursbusrideaway.
Israeliauthoritiesaresendingletterstothefirstof45,000EritreanandSudaneserefugees,informing
themtheyhave30daystoacceptIsraelsofferof$3,500incashandaonewaytickethomeortoan
unnamedthirdcountryinAfrica,orfaceincarcerationatSaharonimprison.
Israelileadershaveproclaimedthattheirtoughapproachbuildingafencealongthecountrys
border,denyingworkpermitsforillegalmigrants,forcingthemintoadetentioncenterinthedesert
mayultimatelysavelivesbydissuadingmigrantsfromattemptingaperilousjourney.CriticsoftheIsraeli
policycounterthatacountrybuiltbyrefugeesshouldbemoreacceptingofthosefleeingwar,povertyand
oppression.
Butthesedays,evenliberalEuropeisconsideringamoremuscularapproach.TheEuropeanUnion
beganapushMondayforU.N.authorizationtodeploymilitaryforceintheMediterraneantostopmigrant
smugglingships.
ThenewmeasurestopresstheAfricanstoleaveIsraelcomeatatimeofheightenedfearamongthe
refugees,whowerestunnedlastmonthbyawidelycirculatedvideoallegedlyshowingthreeEritreans
wholeftIsraelkilledbyIslamicStatemilitantsinLibya.Friendsandrelativessaidtheyhadtraveledthere
inabidtoreachEurope.Wesawthevideo,butwethoughtmaybeitwasnttrue,maybeitwasjusta

hoax,saidAmanBeyene,anEritreanasylumseekerwhohasspent14monthsatanIsraelidetention
center.
ThenwespoketoanEritreanboywhohadwitnessedthekillings,andweknewitwastrue,Beyene
said.
The38yearoldEritreanaccountantsatatapicnictableinthedirtparkinglotoftheHolotdetention
facility,acompoundofsinglestorycementblockdormitorieshousing2,000Africans,surroundedbya
fencespooledwithrazorwireintheNegevdesert.
BeyenespokeslowlyasherecalledwatchingthevideoshowingamanthoughttobehisfriendTesfay
Kidane,29,beheadedonabeachinLibyabyMuslimextremists.HesaidKidanefeltdespondentbeing
coopedupattheHolotfacility,soheacceptedtheIsraelisoffertobeflowntoathirdcountrylikely
UgandaorRwandaandfromtheremadehiswaytoLibya,wherehewaskidnappedbytheIslamic
State.
ThoughthedetaineesatHolotarefreetoleavethecompoundduringtheday,thenearestcityisan
hoursbusrideawayandthemenareforbiddentowork.Iftheyfailtoreturnbynightfall,theyaresentto
aprisonacrossthestreet.
InterviewswithEritreansandSudaneseatHolotsuggestthatmanyarestilldreamingofreaching
EuropethroughthechaosofLibyadespiteknowingthatmorethan1,800Africanshavedrownedin
theMediterraneanthisyearandothershavebeentakencaptivebytheIslamicState.
BeingbeheadedbyISISorsinkingonaboatisscary,saidMutasimAli,28,whoarrivedinIsraelin
2009fromtheDarfurregioninSudanandhasspentthepastyearinthedetentioncenter.Butyou
cantreallystayhere,wastingyourlife,doingnothing.
Hepointedtothemenlikehimwhospendtheirdaysmillingaboutincircles,staringattheir
cellphones,waitingforthenextmeal.
BeforeIsraelbegancrackingdownonAfricanmigrantsafewyearsago,theAfricanswerehighly
visibleinbustlingcities,workinginkitchensanddoingmeniallabor.Therearestillneighborhoodsinsouth
TelAvivfilledwithAfricans.ManyIsraeliscomplainedtheywerebeinginvaded.
IsraelisanationbuiltbyJewishrefugees,andthosewithJewishancestryareencouraged,even
courted,tomovehereandprovidedwiderangingassistance.AmillionRussianspeakerscameinthe
1990s,andJewsfromEthiopiacontinuetoarriveeachmonth.
ButfearfulthatawaveofimpoverishedAfricans,mostlyMuslimsfromSudanandChristiansfrom
Eritrea,wouldoverwhelmtheJewishnatureofthestate,Israelspentmorethan$350milliontobuilda
140milefencealongitsentireborderwithEgypt.UndocumentedmigrantstoIsraelarecalled
infiltratorsbytheIsraeligovernment.
Thesteelbarrier,completedin2013,stoppedillegalentrycold:Morethan10,000Africansarrivedin
2012todayalmostnooneattemptsthetrip.
ThefencealsoshutdownhumantraffickersintheSinaiPeninsulawhohadbecomeincreasingly
sadistic,withrefugeesdescribinghowtheywereimprisonedintorturecampswheretheBedouin
smugglersrapedwomenandburnedcaptiveswithmoltenplastictoextortrelativestosendmoremoney
tofreethem.
AstheyvewatchedEuropebeinghitbyawaveofAfricanrefugees,Israelileaderssaytheirpolicies
arefair.
WhiletherearedifferencesbetweenusthemigrantstravelingtoEuropemustcrossaseawhile
thoseheadingforIsraelhaveadirectoverlandrouteyoucanseetherighteousnessofour
governmentspolicytobuildafenceontheborderwithEgypt,whichblocksthemigrantworkersbefore
theyenterIsrael,wroteIsraeliTransportationMinisterIsraelKatzonhisFacebookpagelastmonth.
YonatanJakubowiczoftheIsraeliImmigrationPolicyCenter,athinktankaimedatpromotinga
coherentimmigrationpolicyforIsrael,pointedoutthatmanycountriessimplyjailillegalmigrantsor
deportthemimmediately,whichIsraeldidnotdototheAfricans.
Hesaidthenewmeasuresaredesignedtohelpthosewhohavebeendeniedasylumorhavenot
appliedforasylumtobereturnedhomeortothirdcountries.
WhatwearesayingisthatIsraelisnotsendinganyonebyforcetoathirdcountry,hesaid.
Overthepasttwoyears,morethan9,000AfricanshaveacceptedtheIsraelisofferanddeparted.
Itisaformofcoercion,butitisnotforceddeportation,saidSigalRozen,publicpolicydirectorofan
IsraelihumanrightsgroupcalledHotlineforRefugeesandMigrants,whichhastakenupthecauseofthe
Africanrefugees.
Morethan300,000Eritreanshavebeenofferedasylumaroundtheworldmorethan84percentare
recognizedasrefugeesorofferedcomplimentaryprotectioninotherhostcountries,accordingtothe
UnitedNations.InIsrael,therecognitionrateislessthan1percentforthepastsixyears.Onlyfour
EritreansandnoSudanesehavebeenacceptedforasylum,Rozensaid.
Israelshoulddomore,shesaid.
RozensaidtheSudanese,whofledgenocideandwar,arenowwaitinginlinetogoback,having
concludedthereisnofuturefortheminIsrael.
Eritreansaremorefearful.Theyfledadictatorshipthatconscriptsmenandwomenintoyearsof
militaryservicethathumanrightsgroupscomparetovirtualslavery.IftheEritreansreturn,the
advocatessay,theyarejailedandtortured.

Evenso,accordingtoIsraeliauthorities,about1,500asylumseekershavevolunteeredtoleaveto
unnamedthirdcountriesinAfrica.
InletterstoEritreanrefugeesattheHolotdetentioncenter,theIsraeligovernmentpromisesthat
moneywillbegiventoyouattheairportinasecuremanner.Whenyouarriveatthethirdcountry,
peoplewillreceiveyouattheairportandgiveyouinformationaboutlifeinthecountryandother
importantinformation.
EritreanactivistsinIsraelsaytheyarenotwelcomedatall,butfindtheirdocumentsseizedupon
arrival,areshakendownforbribesandaregenerallyshunned.
IsraelisreportedlyinnegotiationsforAfricannationstoacceptmorerefugeesandforthecreationofa
moretransparentprocessinsteadofthesecretiveonepursuedtoday,inwhichIsraeliofficialsdeclineto
discussthevoluntaryreturnswiththemediaanddonottelltherefugeeswheretheyaregoinguntilthey
arehandedaplaneticketonthedayofdeparture.
Themodelofpayingathirdcountrytoacceptunwantedrefugeesisanewidea.Israelimediahave
speculatedthatIsraelcouldoffertechnology,favorablecontracts,armsorotherassistance,including
cash,tocountriesthatwouldaccepttheAfricansandgivethemtemporaryvisas.
MeseretFisahaiewasborninIsraeltoEritreanrefugeeswhocamehereinthe1970s.Sheworksasa
translatorandinterviewerwiththeHotlinegroup.HerrelativeKidanewasbeheadedbyISIS.
Hewasaquietman,agentleman,sheremembered.
KidaneworkedforsevenyearscleaninghotelroomsandwashingdishesinTelAviv,jobsmanyIsraelis
shun.

Icouldntstophimfromgoing,shesaid.Ihadabadfeelingaboutthis.Peopleaskmenow,what
shouldtheydo?Itellthemtrytostay.Maybethingswillchange.
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