Written declaration No. 657 | Doc. 14550 | 26 April 2018

African asylum seekers targeted by Israeli deportation plan

Signatories: Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Jokin BILDARRATZ, Spain, ALDE ; Ms Maryvonne BLONDIN, France, SOC ; Mr Piet De BRUYN, Belgium, NR ; Mr Vernon COAKER, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Yves CRUCHTEN, Luxembourg, SOC ; Ms Vanessa D'AMBROSIO, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Don DAVIES, Canada ; Mr Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Carlos Alberto GONÇALVES, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Mr Andrej HUNKO, Germany, UEL ; Ms Susan Elan JONES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Josip JURATOVIC, Germany, SOC ; Ms Ioanneta KAVVADIA, Greece, UEL ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Florian KRONBICHLER, Italy, SOC ; Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Baroness Doreen MASSEY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Martine MERGEN, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Mr Killion MUNYAMA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Víctor NAUDI ZAMORA, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Ms Angela SMITH, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Lord Don TOUHIG, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Martin WHITFIELD, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Phil WILSON, United Kingdom, SOC

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that all people seeking asylum from African nations must choose between deportation to a “third country” or indefinite imprisonment in Israel. If Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers refuse to leave voluntarily to an African country by 31 March 2018, the Israeli Interior Ministry announced to indefinitely detain or forcibly “relocate” them. According to Israeli media Netanyahu reached a secret deal with Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, that Rwanda will be paid by the Israeli government 5 000 USD per person.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed serious concerns and called to abandon this plan, as asylum seekers who were already relocated have not found adequate safety or a durable solution to their plight. As they suffered human trafficking, harsh conditions of starvation, violence and slavery in torture camps, many attempted to migrate again, within Africa or to Europe.

The Parliamentary Assembly is very concerned about Israel’s plan, and demands the protection of some 35 000 asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan (27 018 Eritrean and 7 731 Sudanese) who are currently in danger in Israel.