By Peter Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
The problem of labor migration is currently topical not only in Russia, Europe or the US. The problem is global but approaches of different states seem to be different as well. Vestnik Kavkaza describes the Israeli experience in fighting illegal migration.
The problem of illegal migration from Africa has become a very pressing issue in Israel and Saudi Arabia over the past years.
The fact that this problem is common for both states became clear early this week, when dozens of Africans initiated demonstrations in the centre of Tel Aviv, protesting against what they called ‘the Riyadh slaughter.’ They mean the violent reaction of Saudi Arabian police to pogroms and disorders started by African migrants, resulting in dozens dead and injured.
The protesters were shouting out “Help!” in Hebrew at the Saudi Arabia Embassy and demanding Israel and Ethiopia condemn Saudi Arabia. Although almost not a single Israeli resident has joined the demonstration because many in Tel Aviv and other cities of the country are aware of the problem of the migrant flow from Africa.
The wave of illegal migrants from Sudan and Eritrea started pouring to Israel in the mid-2000s. They move from their states to Egypt, then, through the Sinai Desert, they moved through almost an open Egyptian-Israeli border and demanded political asylum, insisting that they were persecuted in their homeland and their lives were in danger. They used the same tactic in Saudi Arabia.
According to the law, they could not be given such status. Firstly, refugees are people who crossed the border of the asylum state to hide from persecution at the last place of residence. No one in Egypt threatened the lives of the Sudanese and Eritreans. Secondly, as it often turns out, there was no threat to the majority of them in their homeland; over 95% of the uninvited guests of Israel and Saudi Arabia were mere ‘economic migrants,’ searching for a better life in more prosperous states. The UN, however, insisted that Israel should accept migrants on its territory and guarantee the basic conditions for their stay.
Rumours that one should just cross the Israeli border to get medical aid, food and a job spread to Eritrea and Sudan and the flow of illegal migrants only increased. As a result, they pushed out Jews from some quarters of Tel Aviv and other cities of the country, triggering a rise in such crimes as murders, robberies, thefts and rapes. There is clearly a logical explanation to this rise: Africans in search for sources of income start to rob passers-by. And since most of the newcomers are young men aged 18-25, they need women…
Africans have created an infrastructure of shops, nurseries restaurants and other social centers in Israel. Many Israelis fear to walk through some districts of their cities. In Tel Aviv, they make 15% of the general population of the city.
If such situation happened in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian police can be understood. Israel has intensified cooperation with Egyptian border guards to find solutions to the problem. Then, it built an electric fence on the border, spending hundreds of millions of shekels on the project. This has almost fully stopped illegal migration from Africa but has not solved the problem of tens of thousands of Africans living in Israel.
Israeli authorities offer Africans willing to leave the country voluntarily to get a profession free of charge and a financial gift (worth $1500 at first and recently increased to $3500). Moreover, the Knesset is considering a bill that would oblige migrants to live at a specialized temporary residence center for a year. Inhabitants of the center would move freely during the day and return to it in the evening. The bill has already provoked protests of human rights activists. Besides, the center will have space for 3300 people, while tens of thousands would have to live there.
Perhaps, the events in Riyadh were only the pioneer of the events that may follow migration streams from Africa to Arab states, Israel and Europe.
