Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., March 15, 2008 Adar2 9, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:56 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Deputy TA mayor: State reneges on promise to refugees By Yigal Hai The Tel Aviv municipality accused the Prime Minister's Office yesterday of breaking its promise to transfer a state grant to finance apartments for African refugees in the city. The refugees are now housed in dire conditions in shelters in the south of the city. Advertisement Deputy Mayor Yael Dayan, who is in charge of the refugees, said the PMO had undertaken several weeks ago to transfer a NIS 2,000 "adjustment fee" to each of some 400 refugees. So far not a single refugee has received the grant. Dayan says the government also promised to provide work permits for the refugees but failed to do so. "We thought the agreements were binding but apparently we were wrong. The city was even willing to finance advances, assuming the government would pay it back, but the government did not. Nobody got a penny and the ministries are simply ignoring the situation," Dayan said. Dayan wrote to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this week that the African refugees' situation in Tel Aviv had reached the proportions of "a humanitarian disaster. Hundreds of refugees who fled from Africa, men, women, sick, hungry, exhausted people have gathered here. The situation in the shelters is beyond despair. Without government help and responsibility we are unable to cope and the consequences will be disastrous." The PMO confirmed to Haaretz two weeks ago that it had agreed to transfer the grants. The Tel Aviv officials said the grants would enable a number of refugees to rent an apartment together for a few months, during which they would try to find work. Some 200 of the African refugees in the city have no housing or way to obtain food. The city is demanding immediate, albeit temporary, work permits from the government for refugees from Eritrea and southern Sudan - some 700 people. "Once the permits are granted we can close down the shelters and the workers will be absorbed in the community, either in Tel Aviv or other places," Dayan wrote to Olmert. Some 60 refugees moved to Tel Aviv's Independence Park on Tuesday, where they are staying in deplorable conditions with no roof over their heads. Most of them had been staying in a building on Motzkin street in the city's Old North over the past three weeks until they were turned out on Monday. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Not even for Natalie A Haredi actor quits Natalie Portman's latest film due to rabbis' protests. Al-Jazeera boycott Al-Jazeera slams Israeli boycott as attack on free expression.

Today Online Bradley Burston: Ten Commandments for Arab and Jew at war Responses: 304 Officials: IAF helicopter hit by Palestinian fire over Gaza Responses: 284 Police arrest rabbi for 'inciting Palestinians' in East Jerusalem Responses: 147 State Dept. notes rise in world anti-Semitism over last decade Responses: 268 Haaretz.com TV: Al Jazeera slams Israeli boycott as attack on freedom of expression Responses: 83 More Headlines 20:41 IAF strike kills three Islamic Jihad militants in northern Gaza 22:54 Report: Syria wants 'public' peace talks with Israel 20:31 Shin Bet: No evidence of far-right plot to avenge J'lem yeshiva massacre 21:39 Israeli Arab leader: Assassination of Arab figure 'matter of time' 00:29 Firebombs hurled into home of Jewish Agency representative in U.S. 01:53 Netanyahu says will sue Ch. 10 for report he overspent on London trip 15:22 Vice Premier: W. Bank outposts harm Israel's relations with U.S. 18:15 Merkel: Threats that Israel faces are also threats to Germany 13:54 Actor quits Natalie Portman film due to rabbis' objections 21:19 Hard-liners take early edge in Iran vote, but reformists show strength 19:13 At least 10 killed, many injured in anti-China protests in Tibet 09:22 Islamic summit draft communique accuses Israel of 'war crimes' 20:06 EU demands Israel halt all construction in W. Bank, E. J'lem Previous Editions Select Day 14 mar 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar

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