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Last update - 21:16 24/02/2008 Barak rejects PM call to ease rules of engagement at border By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press Tags: infiltrators, refugees  Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday spoke out against the prime minister's instructions to relax Israel's policy on attempted infiltrators to make it easier for border troops to open fire on people trying to cross into Israel illegally. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday had ordered the defense establishment to step up efforts to prevent the illegal infiltration of job-seeking Africans into Israel through the border with Egypt. "Wake up," Olmert reprimanded Defense Ministry officials and Israel Defense Forces representatives, "We can no longer continue in this way, not stopping the border infiltrators," he said. Advertisement Barak told ministers that the solution to the infiltration problem was to implement a policy of "warm return" - meaning that the infiltrators would be taken back to Egypt when caught by border troops. The defense minister also emphasized the importance of completing the border fence. "The Defense Ministry has a plan in this matter, and funds must be allocated immediately," he said. Meanwhile Sunday, Egyptian border police shot and killed an African woman Sunday who was trying to cross illegally into Israel with a group of other migrants, a local medical official said. Police were trying to determine the identity and nationality of the woman who was killed, said Emad Kharboush, a medical official at el-Arish hospital near the border. An Eritrean migrant was wounded during the shooting, and eight other Eritreans, including five children, escaped unhurt but were later arrested, Kharboush added. Israel estimates that 7,400 people - mostly from Africa - have entered the country illegally through its border with Egypt in recent years, searching for jobs. The vast majority of them are from Sudan - including southern Sudan, where a 22-year conflict left 2.5 million people dead, as well as Darfur, where a rebellion has cost more than 200,000 civilian lives and made 2.5 million homeless and Eritrea, where refugees fled forced conscription for life. The number shot up last summer, apparently as word spread of job opportunities in Israel and a more lenient policy toward refugees. As many as 50 people arrived each day in June, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This year, Israel granted temporary residency status to 600 refugees from Darfur. It also recognized about 2,000 infiltrators from Eritrea whose lives would be endangered if sent home. Israel plans to deport the other 4,500, officials said, many of whom came from countries like Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria. The prime ministeron Sunday instructed all the different defense bodies to act in a more decisive and aggressive way to both prevent the entry of African job seekers, as well as their deportation in case of illegal entry. He also proposed that weapons normally used to disperse large crowds be used to deter refugees from crossing the border into Israel. Olmert told the Foreign Ministry to set up immediate contacts with various African governments to coordinate the Africans' deportation back to their home countries. Finally, the prime minister instructed the Public Security Ministry and the Interior Ministry to make the deportation process more efficient, and to that end he ordered the appointment of 30 additional officials to determine among the infiltrators which is a legitimate refugee and which is only looking for work. The Israel Prisons Service was instructed to jail all infiltrators not classified as refugees. "We mustn't agree to a situation in which they remain free," Olmert said. During the discussion, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said that the problem stems for inaction by the IDF and that it is the military's responsibility to stop the infiltrators at the border. "Our problem is that we deal with them once they're already inside, and then an immediate return becomes impossible," Dichter said. Dichter said that 5,000 infiltrators were caught in 2007. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that "a distinction must be made between refugees and job seekers. Against the latter we must employ harsh measures at the border initially, and later at the detention facilities. We mustn't provide solutions for people who come here seeking work." Related articles: Egypt police kill Sudanese migrant on Israel border Egyptian police kill two Africans during bid to cross into Israel Egyptian troops kill African man trying to cross border to Israel Five wounded as Egyptian guards fire on African refugees on Israel border Egyptian border police kill African refugee trying to enter Israel Government: Darfur refugees will be refused entry into Israel Bookmark to del.icio.us   Power to the people Egypt plans to provide all of Gaza's electricity, to wean dependency on Israel. Calculated escalation Hamas has been trying for some time to create a balance of deterrence with Israel.   1.   job seekers.., or refugees from darfur 16:10  |  paulo2005 24/02/08   2.   News has gone down Africa that Israel is good place to head to. 16:51  |  Alan 24/02/08   3.   # 1 paulo of Lisbon 17:08  |  Lynn 24/02/08   4.   Shoot them? 17:24  |  Leon 24/02/08   5.   Israel was created for Jews, not Africans! 17:43  |  Motke Chabad 24/02/08   6.   #5 Motke Chabad 21:33  |  Jim 24/02/08   7.   # 4 Leon 21:39  |  Jim 24/02/08   8.   Find humane solution for this problem 21:46  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 24/02/08   9.   killingof Africans 00:04  |  psi 25/02/08   10.   Border is Border: No trespassers! Neither job seekers, nor HAMAS 00:07  |  Vittorio 25/02/08   11.   You Arab Egyptians are something else you 00:08  |  psi 25/02/08   12.   #1 Paulo 2005 - You never answered my last question 00:11  |  * BEN JABO 25/02/08   13.   Thanks for the clarification, Livni.... 03:39  |  Johnboy 25/02/08   14.   RoE 04:00  |  jjvanka 25/02/08   15.   Heres the deal 12:46  |  David 25/02/08   16.   #14 jjavanka - Tell that to the Egyptians 20:03  |  * BEN JABO 25/02/08   17.   Jewish Racists! 01:00  |  Rabbi Goldstien 27/02/08   18.   #17 2ND TRY Rabbi Goldstien 01:36  |  * BEN JABO 29/02/08

Today Online IDF kills 20, including 5 children, in Gaza, West Bank Responses: 298 Barak: Large-scale Gaza operation is 'real and tangible' Responses: 124 Editorial: Decision on Gaza operation should be daring and level-headed Responses: 71 Abbas: I oppose armed struggle, but won't rule it out for future Responses: 99 Pro-Israel evangelical leader Hagee endorses McCain Responses: 57 Rosner's Domain Battle of Ohio: from James Garfield to Hillary Clinton Voters: Obama's not "tough enough" on foreign policy (WTR) Poll: Your solution for the situation in Gaza Prosecutor in AIPAC case to leave before trial? (WTR) Can Obama restore the Black-Jewish alliance? More Headlines 04:17 Gaza offensive looms as violence spirals 23:29 IDF kills 20 Palestinians in Gaza, W. Bank, including 5 children 03:00 ANALYSIS / Uncompromising Hamas is in trouble 20:43 Egypt plans to provide all of Gaza's electricity 22:58 Shin Bet arrests female terror suspect, 17, from East J'lem 04:13 Hundreds attend funeral of student killed in Wednesday's Sderot rocket attack 04:06 Former diplomat: Assad seeks to restart talks with Israel 01:58 Impatient with Syria, U.S. sends warship off Lebanon coast 01:16 Sapir College licks its wounds after student killed by rocket 22:05 U.K. officials: Prince Harry serving on front line in Afghanistan 22:46 German Jewish leader urges Merkel to back Israel's stance on Iran Previous Editions Select Day 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb 22 feb 21 feb 20 feb 19 feb 18 feb 17 feb 15 feb

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