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.
In this week’s news highlights: Ethiopian PM resigns; arrests of opposition leaders in Sudan continue; fatal accident in Libyakills at least 19 smuggled Eritreans, Somalis and Ethiopians; background to Israel’s plans todeport thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese;Rwanda continues to deny any agreement with Israel for the deportation of asylum seekers; Hungary submits measuresagainst NGOs assisting migrants to the parliament; UK to create and circulate anti-immigration campaign; politics is the barrier of solving migration issue, not migration itself, IOM chief says; European Commission’s resettlement measures waiting for response from member states.
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.