Eritreans go on hunger strike as Israel starts its deportation plan

Israel has started its deportation plan, imprisoning seven Eritreans who refused to leave Israel. The seven men were moved from Holot, an open detention center, to Saharonim prison for indefinite incarceration. On 20 February, 750 asylum seekers in Holot began a hunger strike. The protestors demand the release of the seven prisoners and that no more be imprisoned.

Asylum seekers’ deportations: Critics say that Israel has forgotten its past

Last Sunday, the Israeli Immigration and Population Authority began issuing deportation notices to asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan. How has this situation evolved? This article describes the current state of play in Israel, giving background information to shed light on how things have escalated.