Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., August 18, 2008 Av 17, 5768 | | Israel Time: 11:33 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 22:15 17/08/2008 Eritrean refugees find new home in drug house By Vered Lee Tags: Eritrea, drugs, Tel Aviv  For the past week, the building on 1 Finn Street in Tel Aviv, near the old central bus station, has been home to Eritrean refugees - in addition to addicts, prostitutes and drug dealers. The main entrance, which leads to the top floor and an inner courtyard, had been padlocked for the past month. A week ago it was opened, after its rooms were renovated; they are now being rented to the refugees. Two other entrances lead to the inner courtyard and, from there, to the section of the top floor where drugs are still being pushed. Addicts, prostitutes and dealers continue to live and work there. The building's main entrance and stairwell have been painted, covering up the blood spatters caused by needles, and hung with pictures. The rooms, whose doors have been painted a uniform brown, are rented to the Eritrean refugees for NIS 1,600 a month. Avi Nagar, who claims to be the building's owner, says: "I am going to renovate the other part as well and get all the addicts out. I want to change the building's population. The refugees pay their rent." Advertisement Around noon, C. a 34-year-old Eritrean refugee, comes back from his cleaning job. He moved into the building a few days ago and shares a room with five other Eritrean refugees. "In the culture I come from there are no drugs," he says. "It's frightening, but we have no other housing solution," he says of his Finn Street residence. A 22-year-old woman holding an infant peeks out from a nearby door. She says she has been in Israel for a year and used to live in a "terrible" immigrant hostel. "We've been here for three days and I'm afraid to go out," she says. "People are knocking on my door all the time, thinking I am a prostitute or asking for drugs. My partner is at work and I'm shut in here with the baby, who has a lot of health problems and I have to protect him." Finn 1 is a death-trap for prostitutes - shelter, work and drugs in one and the same place. The addicts, who know no one else will rent them a room, pay about NIS 150 a day for a room and from NIS 25 to NIS 50 five times a day for their fixes. Dallal, a prostitute and an addict, admits that she has not noticed her new neighbors, the refugees. She did hear that the landlord wants to evict the addicts. The Welfare Ministry says its personnel have been to 1 Finn and "offered assistance dozens of times," but had been refused. The Tel Aviv Municipality says it cannot take responsibility for housing addicts, "out of fear that they will overdose and endanger themselves." The city also says that because 1 Finn Street is privately-owned, the municipality cannot interfere with who lives there. However, the city says it has been to the building a number of times and offered all the addicts rehabilitation. "Some accepted and some refused to cooperate. The municipal workers will continue to visit the place to allow every addict to enter rehab," the municipality said. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Running out of time Is Sari Nusseibeh, the symbol of moderation, burying the two-state solution? The empire strikes back Russian artillery roaring into Tbilisi was not really about South Ossetia.   1.   "because (it) is privately-owned, municipality cannot interfere" 01:32  |  Global Citizen 18/08/08

Read & React Iran claims its new warplanes can reach Israel without refueling Responses: 120 Livni helps get Israeli ID card for daughter of top Palestinian official Responses: 16 Egypt to Hamas: Stop blocking Shalit deal Responses: 10 Editorial: Israel must do what it can to stay on Fatah's good side Responses: 1 Akiva Eldar: Israel can't survive on just military strength Responses: 4 Itamar Rabinovitch: Is Russia becoming the Iran/Syria of Europe? Responses: 1 More Headlines 08:37 Egypt warns Hamas: Stop obstructing Shalit deal 11:26 Pakistan's President Mushrarraf announces that he is resigning 11:13 Russian troops begin preparing for Georgia withdrawal 10:57 Livni helps secure Israeli ID card for daughter of top Palestinian official 11:19 Israel's hopes of Olympic medal dissipate as sailing duo Kornecki, Bouskila finish 4th 09:56 Eyeing global market, Technion makes its MBA English-only 08:37 Rabbis, families discuss ways to cope with kids who quit religion 10:12 Israel Police: FBI decision to probe Talansky is no surprise 10:50 Israel frees father of Palestinian girl who filmed shooting of bound man 07:39 ANALYSIS / Israel's decision to free Palestinian prisoners puts Hamas in dire straits 08:44 Israelis recycling more as greens and lawmakers push awareness 09:07 VIDEO / Iran claims its new warplanes can reach Israel without refueling 06:17 Despite truce, school supplies do not reach the Gaza Strip Previous Editions Select Day 17 aug 15 aug 14 aug 13 aug 12 aug 11 aug 10 aug 08 aug 07 aug 06 aug 05 aug 04 aug

Special Offers Advertisement Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Isaac Maimon at Dreamshoppe Special summer sale. Make an offer now. You will be surprised. MBA in Israel in English APPLY NOW! Limited spaces available Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Yossi Avrahami Presents: New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved