June 6, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) – The government of Israel is reportedly set to deport thousands of African migrants including most Ethiopians and South Sudanese.
According to Israeli news outlets, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has ordered an urgent expulsion to some 25,000 immigrants from Ethiopia, South Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Netanyahu made the orders during a recent cabinet meeting following demonstrations targeting immigrants in Tel Aviv.
However, the premier said the deportation measure excludes political refugees from Sudan and Eritrea.
Recently, the country has seen violent racially-motivated attacks against African nationals.
On Monday a deadly Arson attack at an apartment targeting Eritrean migrants was reported. Attackers sprayed a note on a wall which read “get out of the neighborhood”.
Israeli residents accuse African immigrants of being the root cause of growing crimes in their neighborhood.
The attack is said to be the most violent since the eruption of anti-African attacks past few weeks.
African migrants have accused the Israeli government of turning “deaf ears” towards the latest violence against them.
As tensions between African migrants and Israeli residents in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem worsen, the country on Sunday endorsed a new law that will allow Israeli authorities to jail illegal immigrants for up to three years.
The new bill was denounced by migrants, rights groups and some of the country’s politicians. However, the Israeli government argued that the law targets only to work-seeking illegal migrants and not political refugees.
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