The Israeli authorities plan to build tent camps for 20,000-25,000 illegal immigrants from Africa before the end of the year, the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a press release.
According to official figures, about 60,000 Africans who managed to enter Israel across the porous border with Egypt, are now living in Israel. Most are from Sudan and Eritrea. Local residents blame them for a recent increase in crime and regularly hold protests to demand they be sent back to Africa. But court rulings and international obligations have delayed deportation efforts.
The Defense Ministry's planned tent camps will provide the illegal immigrants with a place to live while they await decisions on their fate. The camps will be run by the Israeli Bureau of Prisons.
The Defense Ministry was assigned to build the camps because of its experience implementing large projects during emergencies, the press release said.
Yesterday the district court in Jerusalem refused to extend a ban on the deportation of immigrants from South Sudan. It ruled that plaintiffs failed to provide convincing evidence that the immigrants' lives would be in danger if they returned to South Sudan, which declared its independence last year.
Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai welcomed the decision of the court saying that it gives the green light to deport 1,500 people. He hopes that in future the Interior Ministry will be able to take similar steps towards illegals from Sudan and Eritrea.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday discussed the issue of immigrants with agencies responsible for this issue. Following the meeting, Netanyahu outlined the main options for settling the issue, from building a fence along the border with Egypt to toughening penalties for hiring illegal immigrants.
"I believe that these measures and others that I will not describe in more detail for now, will reverse this negative trend," Netanyahu said.
