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After Uganda: Treat infiltration

2020-02-04T21:10:20.918Z


Jonathan Jakubowicz


The meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Sudan's leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Uganda is not only an important diplomatic achievement, but also an important step in tackling the phenomenon of infiltration.

Sudanese are the second largest group of infiltrators living in Israel, after Eritreans, numbering more than 7,000 people. There is no dispute that most of the Sudanese who came to Israel were migrant workers who were in no danger when leaving their country, and only a minority of them came from areas where there is an ethnic conflict in the periphery of Sudan, such as Darfur, the Blue Nile and South Kordofan. It should be noted that in recent years there have also been positive changes in their case, and there is a trend among many Western countries, such as Australia, France, Belgium and Italy, to return these groups to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

The State of Israel had to deal with a unique reality, as in the absence of diplomatic relations, it had no possibility of alienating Sudanese infiltrators directly into their country, regardless of their origin or the reasons that led them to infiltrate into Israel. While illegal immigrants from all over the world are moving away from routine, Israel is the only country in the world that could not do so.

Beyond the technical difficulties, Sudan considered Israel an enemy state and even provided for a ten-year sentence for visiting or entering its territory. Hence, a substantive claim that immigrant workers also came to Alma when they left their country became refugees from the moment they set foot in the Holy Land, as they are in danger of being returned from Israel.

In fact, we know that this claim is far from reality, since over the years more than 6,000 infiltrators voluntarily returned to Sudan without being harmed, and the Sudanese government made no great efforts to prevent this return, except in cases of prominent regime opponents. But the small risk prevented Israel from taking practical steps to remove Sudanese, and only allowed an independent exit.

It is clear to everyone that in a state of complete normalization, Israel can return Sudanese directly to their country, as it does with illegal immigrants from Ukraine, for example. But Israel can begin to act even if full diplomatic relations are delayed for a long time, as the meeting officially sanctioned a situation that already exists on the ground and even alters the legal status of Sudanese infiltrators already. In the absence of danger, the state may require all Sudanese infiltrators who do not have an individual asylum application to leave Israel. In the case of those who refuse, their employment can be banned and even transferred to custody under the Entry into Israel Law, until they cooperate and return safely to their country.

If diplomatic sensitivity exists at this time, no dramatic statements are needed, but only the application of existing law on each individual case, as has been done with illegal immigrants from more than 100 other countries. No rushing steps, but no stagnation. Prime Minister Netanyahu can certainly take pride in an important diplomatic achievement, now is the time for action too.

Adv. Jonathan Yakovovich is the director of the Center for Israeli Immigration Policy

More opinions of Jonathan Jakubowicz

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2020-02-04

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