Israel looks for African country to absorb Sudanese refugees
June 13, 2008 (TEL AVIV) — Israel is negotiating with four African countries to host Sudanese and other African refugees who sneaked from Egypt, said a report published here on Thursday.
Sudanese refugees and Eritrean nationals continue to escape to Israel from Egypt posing a dilemma for Israel while Egyptian authorities shoot some of them every week in vain to stop the flux.
According to a report published by Haaretz yesterday, Israel has offered to pay African states to absorb the thousands of Sudanese refugees from Darfur and other environs who have crossed into Israel recently. The daily attributed the report to the Army Radio.
The project was adopted by the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert following discussion on the influx of African refugees and the high costs of providing these refugees with housing, health and social services.
The Sudanese have posed an ethical dilemma for Israel, a country created as a haven for Jews in the aftermath of the Holocaust and now faced with the arrival of refugees from what some world leaders have called another genocide.
Last year, the Israeli government has argued in court that because it cannot investigate the background of all the Sudanese, they are assumed to pose a risk. Some officials have warned that if the refugees are granted asylum, it could lead to a flood of Sudanese at Israel’s borders.
The Israeli foreign ministry contacted Ethiopia, Uganda, the Ivory Coast and Benin to discuss the issue of the Sudanese refugees. The amount of monetary compensation for the refugees has not yet been set, as talks are still at a preliminary stage.
The concerned African states didn’t show at present enthusiasm for the idea, though not all have rejected it all right. However a few of the states have requested the proposal be studied in depth.
The Israeli foreign ministry sees the proposal as a sensitive political issue, considering that there are now thousands of African refugees in Israel, and also because the state’s offer of monetary compensation for refugees is liable to be viewed negatively in the world.
At least a third of the Sudanese refugees are Muslims from Darfur and the rest are Christians from southern Sudan and people fleeing conflict in other areas of the country, according to United Nations officials and Israeli human-rights groups.
In July 2007, the Israeli Prime Minister told lawmakers that Israel would absorb only Sudanese the U.N. designates as refugees from the western region of Darfur. Their number is estimated between four and six hundreds.
According to United Nations figures of 2007, the number of the Sudanese in Israel was estimated at 1,200 refugees from Sudan in Israel; however hundreds sneaked the border since the beginning of this year.
(ST)
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
Israel looks for African country to absorb Sudanese refugees
That is so bad for those individuals who are leaving their kids to live on the streets it is a big shame,if so you don’t have to go there,it is good if they can remain on the ground of Sudan and face the consquences.People escape to live as refugess because of their children which are future generation of Sudan,so if they are leaving the future of our nation to live like orphans what is the benefit?,however the case of muslim and christians in Israel as refugess should not be consider as a matter in fact they are just there for safety not to practice any secrets against jews,therefore am reqesuting Israel to granted asylum to those people just for a short time due to the fact that Sudan is not well organised.
Onen Walter Solomon
Israel looks for African country to absorb Sudanese refugees
This is a lesson our some African leaders and for any one who intend to be a real leader/ruler.
So president Omar thought fighting the Darfurians would not kill or affect the Darfurian Muslims. I suppose, like the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Omert, that the influx of the mingling of the ‘Mulims’ among the Christians in Israel would probably cause terrorism to the Israelites who had suffered and are still under the threats of the quoted group. Once more, Israel, geographically, is too small to contain any other influx of the outsiders permanently or for some years which would lead to health,economic and social problems.
It is not good to be a refugee and it is not one’s wish, though. But may our brothers and sisters be cared for at the moment and then be returned to our motherland, Africa, as sung by female Musician, Chaka Chaka,’…my motherland where I belong…’ and build and protect it against foes.
Daniel Kalaka
Israel looks for African country to absorb Sudanese refugees
Sorry for suffering of other brother’s & sister’s