Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., August 11, 2007 Av 27, 5767 | | Israel Time: 19:20 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Print Edition
Diplomacy
Defense Real Estate Arts & Leisure Jewish World National Sports Advertising
Magazine Week's End Opinion Business Rosner's Domain Anglo File Travel
Q&A
Sudanese refugee children playing in a Be'er Sheva pool Monday. (Alberto Denkberg)
del.icio.us
Digg It!  new
Last update - 11:30 26/06/2007
Israel considering deportation of Sudanese refugees to Kenya
By Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent

Israel is considering sending African refugees to Kenya and is engaged in diplomatic talks on the issue. It has also resumed jailing Sudanese refugees who seep into the country along the Egyptian border.

However, several people dealing with the refugees doubt that Kenya is interested in accepting them. They said Monday that the plan was probably Israel's alone. The UN is also expected to object.

The UN returns the refugees to south Sudan via Kenya.

Advertisement
Israel is refraining from returning to Egypt the refugees who made it across the border because Egypt sends them to Sudan, where they are expected to be executed for seeking asylum in Israel.

Michael Bavli, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jerusalem, said he was not aware of negotiations between Israel and Kenya.

"I assume the UN will not agree to taking refugees against their will back to Africa," he said.

The chairman of the Knesset Interior Committee, Ophir Pines-Paz, said he objects to returning the refugees to Africa. Pines said Israel must take in a significant number of refugees and reach an agreement with other countries to take the rest.

Attorney Anat Ben Dor of Tel Aviv University's clinic for refugee rights said transferring the refugees to a country where they could be imprisoned in a refugee camp would be illegal. The IDF on Monday jailed 12 Sudanese men. Their women and children were left to manage on their own.

The jailing policy, which was carried out until April this year, caused humanitarian problems because the women and children found it difficult to fend for themselves in a foreign country while the heads of their families were in prison.

Due to prison overcrowding and the objection of civil rights groups, the Israel Defense Forces put an end to the jailing policy until its current resumption.

In recent weeks the IDF would arrest the refugees but leave them outside police stations because the army is not allowed to hold refugees for more than 24 hours. Non-profit organizations would take the refugees off the street, treat them, and help them to find jobs.

Meanwhile, the ministers' committee to solve the refugee problem has completed its findings. These include blocking the southern border by increased military activity and building a fence along the border.

Interior Minister Roni Bar-On on Monday presented Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with the committee's recommendations, and a debate with all those involved with the refugee issue is due to be held next week.
Bookmark to del.icio.us
Food for thought
The Torah shows J'lem's role in taxes that were meant to stabilize Israelite society.
Shades of gray
'The Palestinian reality is perfect for mystery fiction,' says author Beynon Rees.
  1.   In many countries refugees are being jailed 08:04  |  Suzanne 26/06/07
  2.   Like Countries Didn`t Take Jewish Refugees from Nazism 08:38  |  David 26/06/07
  3.   More needs to be done 09:29  |  Aussie Eli 26/06/07
  4.   Refugee 09:36  |  Marc 26/06/07
  5.   yad vashem sudan 10:08  |  JewishHeart 26/06/07
  6.   No mention 10:38  |  Alan 26/06/07
  7.   They HAVE to be given care,shelter and help.Unlike Egypt 10:55  |  PETER SM 26/06/07
  8.   Pines Paz ,apologised to Vatican for not being speedy enough in 11:13  |  Absolute Sweden 26/06/07
  9.   Israel urgently needs international backing 11:37  |  Daniel 26/06/07
  10.   I am proud of Israel 12:15  |  JewishHeart 26/06/07
  11.   Consistent standards 12:20  |  Joseph 26/06/07
  12.   seeping over the border 12:20  |  justice 26/06/07
  13.   #5 Jewish Heart 12:52  |  * BEN JABO 26/06/07
  14.   #13 Ben Jabo 13:10  |  JewishHeart 26/06/07
  15.   Israel needs new policy of accepting these refugees 13:48  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 26/06/07
  16.   #14 Jewish Heart 13:50  |  * BEN JABO 26/06/07
  17.   Great, let`s build another fence! 14:07  |  Armin 26/06/07
  18.   Note, people coming to Israel from the Sudan do so through Egypt 14:12  |  Amit 26/06/07
  19.   #15 Shlomo from Tel Aviv 15:19  |  * BEN JABO 26/06/07
  20.   #14 Jewish Heart 15:26  |  * BEN JABO 26/06/07
  21.   deportation of Sudaneese, another fence 15:35  |  Michael 26/06/07
  22.   Sudanese refugees/jewish or not??? 15:39  |  clover 26/06/07
  23.   Illegal aliens 15:46  |  John Allen 26/06/07
  24.   Like Countries Didn`t Take Jewish Refugees from Nazism 15:48  |  Michael 26/06/07
  25.   To Michael 16:16  |  Yaron 26/06/07
  26.   #2 Like Coutnries..... 16:16  |  Niss 26/06/07
  27.   Soon there will be tens of thousands 16:53  |  McQueen 26/06/07
  28.   Draft the men into the army -- see if they want to stay then 16:54  |  McQueen 26/06/07
  29.   Deport them/// 17:01  |  Joe 26/06/07
  30.   To Niss from Ontario 17:08  |  christa 26/06/07
  31.   Since the British boycotters are high & mighty moralists... 17:19  |  bat yam 26/06/07
  32.   Questions for # 15 Shlomo 17:19  |  christa 26/06/07
  33.   Shame on all of you! Good for Israel 17:31  |  JewishHeart 26/06/07
  34.   Sudanese refugees 17:48  |  Steve 26/06/07
  35.   This article is incomplete... 17:52  |  Jacques 26/06/07
  36.   What if US/Europe said? 17:58  |  JewishHeart 26/06/07
  37.   IDF service Sudanese 18:00  |  JewishHeart 26/06/07
  38.   Steve, you took the words right out my mouth!!! 18:01  |  Jacques 26/06/07
  39.   #13 Ben Jabo - Don`t be so ignorant 18:08  |  Bill 26/06/07
  40.   #35 Jacques: Sudanese Jews? 18:10  |  Bill 26/06/07
  41.   Reflections on Apartheid, Israel Boycott 18:14  |  Bill 26/06/07
  42.   #32. Christa, Christa, Christa! 18:15  |  Jacques 26/06/07
  43.   #17 Armin 2nd TRY 18:18  |  * BEN JABO 26/06/07
  44.   Arab muslims slaughtering Black muslims... 18:25  |  Chaim Ben-Zimra 26/06/07
  45.   32hey christa sweety- 18:34  |  common sense 26/06/07
  46.   41 No Bill, you are not alone in your disgust... 18:48  |  bat yam 26/06/07
  47.   Bill #41, you are not alone 18:48  |  FOX 26/06/07
  48.   Welcome the Stranger 18:51  |  Joan Stuchner 26/06/07
  49.   ` 34 Steve 19:19  |  Labhras 26/06/07
  50.   Labhras, Joan, and Bill 19:33  |  JewishHeart 26/06/07
  51.   Bill #40 20:01  |  Jacques 26/06/07
  52.   `50 Jewish Heart 20:02  |  Labhras 26/06/07
  53.   Sudanese Refugees 20:04  |  Abu Yusuf 26/06/07
  54.   to Labhras #52 20:41  |  Ilya 26/06/07
  55.   great idea and let un usefully spend some money there 20:42  |  ralph 26/06/07
  56.   #41 Bill - Carter -Yech! 21:03  |  * BEN JABO 26/06/07
  57.   #41 Bill - Carter -Yech! 21:03  |  * BEN JABO 26/06/07
  58.   Abu Yosef 21:57  |  JewishHeart 26/06/07
  59.   `54 Ilya 00:07  |  Labhras 27/06/07
  60.   `54 Ilya 00:22  |  Labhras 27/06/07
  61.   O.K. you all! The deflectors I mean. 01:55  |  Maureen Ann 27/06/07
  62.   I am just wondering,why a moslem would 02:21  |  TOMY 27/06/07
  63.   #61 Maureen Ann ("Occupied Australia") 02:22  |  Martin 27/06/07
  64.   UN Returns Refugees to Sudan 02:23  |  Efox 27/06/07
  65.   #18 Amit: Egypt and the Darfur refugees 02:32  |  Martin 27/06/07
  66.   #63 Martin. Absolutely right! 04:18  |  Maureen Ann 27/06/07
  67.   Not only Israel`s responsibility 04:58  |  Geo 27/06/07
  68.   re: TOMY 05:16  |  Efox 27/06/07
  69.   All the Sudanese Refugees should be allow to stay there in that c 05:32  |  Arou Arou Arou Akot 27/06/07
  70.   the ACID TEST FOR ALL OF THESE BIG MOUTHS 09:03  |  paul harris 27/06/07
  71.   RE martin 09:24  |  Billy Jack 27/06/07
  72.   Efox, agreed 09:43  |  JewishHeart 27/06/07
  73.   To Maureen Ann 10:41  |  Martin 27/06/07
  74.   #71 Billy Jack 10:43  |  Martin 27/06/07
  75.   To # 70 (and others) 10:49  |  D.R. Zukerman 27/06/07
  76.   #62 TOMY - Muslims in Israel 12:18  |  Martin 27/06/07
  77.   Big cap on big mouth has spoken 12:38  |  Labhras 27/06/07
  78.   Labrat so why doesnt Ireland take in more?? 15:47  |  Zebulonguy 27/06/07
  79.   sure let some stay 15:48  |  Zebulonguy 27/06/07
  80.   44# yes Arab Muslims slaughtering Black Muslims 15:50  |  Zebulonguy 27/06/07
  81.   Jewishheart 15:53  |  Zebulonguy 27/06/07