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Last update - 07:30 20/05/2008 New bill would sentence migrants and refugees to five years in jail By Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Knesset, israel  The Knesset on Monday approved the first reading of a bill to prevent illegal entry into the country. The draft law, passed by a vote of 21-1, would impose a sentence of up to five years in prison on people who cross the border illegally, including refugees and labor migrants, while infiltrators from enemy states, such as Sudan, could be sentenced to as much as seven years behind bars. The bill also authorizes the state to hold illegal entrants, including refugees, for up to 18 days without bringing them before a judge for arraignment. In addition, it would legally authorize "hot returns" of infiltrators back to Egyptian territory, a practice that endangers their lives. MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), the sole dissenter in the plenum vote, called the bill draconian, while refugee rights organizations said it contained a number of "terrible" provisions. They also criticized the fact that legislation on such a sensitive subject was entrusted to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, which does not have experience with migration issues and whose sessions are held in camera, despite the fact that in recent months, Israel has almost completely ceased to treat infiltrators across the southern border as a security threat rather than as refugees or labor migrants. Advertisement Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, who presented the bill to the Knesset, said it was needed because between the beginning of 2007 and the end of March 2008, over 20,000 people entered Israel by crossing the southern border from Egypt illegally. The state's effort to use the old law against border infiltrators met with judicial resistance because it was an emergency regulation enacted in 1954. The current bill is supposed to replace the old law. But since its provisions are extremely harsh, it is unlikely to be an improvement over the emergency law. "We will turn the Darfur refugees that reach us as a result of a human holocaust and genocide into criminals" if the law is passed, charged Khenin. "These are terrible directives. We need a completely different law, a law that will recognize the rights of the refugees and their status, that is appropriate to an advanced, humanitarian society in the 21st century." Among the bill's other provisions: * The enemy states and territories from which infiltrators can be imprisoned for up to seven years include the Gaza Strip. * An infiltrator who returns to Israel after being deported can be jailed for 7.5 years, or 10.5 years in the case of someone from an enemy state or territory. * An armed infiltrator, or someone in the company of an armed infiltrator (including refugees who arrive with an armed guide), can be sentenced to 20 years. Knives are considered weapons for this purpose. Attorney Oded Feller of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel objected to the fact that the bill would permit the detention of suspects for 96 hours without a court order and 18 days without arraignment. Moreover, he said, it would allow officers to issue deportation orders without ever meeting the subject, based only on reports written by a soldier. Related articles: Success notwithstanding African migrants arrested while attempting to cross into Israel Some 2,400 African refugees have entered Israel this year PM: Israel to send back refugees who infiltrate from Sinai Bookmark to del.icio.us   Haniyeh's plea Hamas leader in Gaza says rocket fire must stop for sake of Palestinians. Softening position Shin Bet agrees to free prisoners 'with blood on their hands' for Shalit.   1.   20.000 Refugees as Witnesses Against Apartheid Carter . 05:24  |  Joseph . E 20/05/08   2.   Caramelizing refugees 06:05  |  Moshe 20/05/08   3.   Oh yeah 06:26  |  Jack 20/05/08   4.   Raise the drawbridge and man the battlements! 07:13  |  Natallie Durson 20/05/08   5.   criminalize employment of illegal workers 07:44  |  Ethan 20/05/08   6.   What stone hearted people 08:07  |  Jonathan 20/05/08   7.   Finally we have something meaningful. Great job. Great bill. 09:05  |  Alex 20/05/08   8.   HOW IRONICed 09:36  |  Robert of Jerusalem 20/05/08   9.   this bill applies to the entire "israel", except Palestinians 12:48  |  Historian 20/05/08   10.   Migrants should be sent home not jailed. 13:01  |  J 20/05/08   11.   Knesset Members called to order 15:37  |  H.H. 20/05/08   12.   ALEX: You are lucky 23:00  |  A-S 29/05/08   13.   please donot shot us we are already wounded!! 22:21  |  solomon 26/06/08   14.   please donot shot us we are already wounded!! 22:21  |  solomon 26/06/08   15.   This the kind of bill states should pass during ww2 against Jews 08:35  |  Rasta 28/06/08

Read & React Mortar shells hit southern Israel despite Gaza truce Responses: 181 Shin Bet agrees to free prisoners 'with blood on their hands' for Shalit Responses: 115 'Dutch Jimmy Carter' accuses Israel of terrorism in new book Responses: 198 Amos Shocken: Citizenship law makes Israel an apartheid state Responses: 135 Rosner: Can U.S. Jews support Iraq war without being blamed for divided loyalties? Responses: 47 More Headlines 01:22 Libya seeking UN condemnation of Israeli settlement building 01:01 Haniyeh: Stop firing at Israel for sake of Palestinians 11:30 Iran military chief warns it would use 'oil weapon' if attacked 10:13 NYPD arrests 4 black teens for stoning bus full of Jewish toddlers 11:05 Palestinians say 17-year-old shot dead by IDF troops in West Bank 10:40 Turkish academic fired for saying 'Turks in Europe are the new Jews' 10:12 UEFA probing claims of Croatian fans' Nazi chants 19:41 Shin Bet agrees to free prisoners 'with blood on their hands' for Shalit 14:36 The French connection 14:41 Why did Haredim force girls to cover up at a Jerusalem ceremony? 12:41 PMO: Cabinet vote on Hezbollah prisoner swap may be delayed 16:08 30 mothers hold rally for Gilad Shalit at Erez crossing Previous Editions Select Day 27 jun 26 jun 25 jun 24 jun 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun

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