Monday, July 09, 2007

African migrants in Israel

There are now estimated to be about 2,400 African refugees in Israel. Originally they started coming from Darfur, claiming that they were mistreated in Egypt. But, although the Government could not decide what to do with them, nevertheless one way or another, often by private charities, they were somehow fed and housed.
Word no doubt got around and soon more started to cross the border from Egypt. Most of them were clearly economic migrants looking for work. The Govt. imprisoned some and started to repatriate others across the Egyptian border. This of course was criticized by various do-gooders and left-wing organizations.
However, let's be clear about this, Israel has no responsibility for these migrants. They are illegal, and as with all illegal migrants, in the EU and the US, the international standard is to arrest them and return them across the border from where they came. Only a small minority of these Africans can be classified as true refugees, those from Darfur. Remember that they have traversed a Muslim country, Egypt, to enter a non-Muslim country, Israel. Israel therefore contacted Egypt officially and arranged for most of them to be returned. However, the Govt. as usual failed to carry out its humanitarian responsibilites and so some of them were bused from Beersheva to Jerusalem where they were housed and fed, and then turned up outside the Knesset demonstrating for their right to stay in Israel.
Finally, after the Police, Interior Ministry and Ministry of Health all passed the buck, the Govt. decided to set up a refugee camp for them in the Negev near a prison where facilities can be supplied to them. Some individuals and organizations have taken pity on these refugees and/or migrants and said that because of the history of the Jews as refugees, Israel has a special responsibility to care for them and to allow them to stay here. That may be a nice sentiment, but Africa is awash with millions of refugees and migrants, and as soon as word get's around that they will be accepted here, many of them will make a beeline for Israel, instead of Spain.
Some of the migrants in Israel come from as far away as Ghana in West Africa.
Israel is a small crowded country with lots of problems, not least of which is maintaining a Jewish majority. Let's make sure that noone starves, but also let's make sure that out of a misplaced sense of responsibility, thousands of African economic migrants do not end up flooding into Israel.

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