Eritrea pays to free its supporters from Israel's jails after riots
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After 135 people hurt in violence between waring Eritrean groups Israel late to take steps to deport those responsible .The government in Eritrea posted NIS 84,000 in bail to release its supporters from prison after they were involved in violent riots, vandalism and theft, according to a document obtained by Ynet on Thursday.
The violence erupted earlier this year when asylum-seekers who were opponents of the regime and its supporters clashed on the streets of Tel Aviv. More than nine people were killed and over 100 hurt in mass riots in August and September.
Then Tel Aviv police chief Peretz Amar said his force cannot single-handedly respond to the violence. His statement came after two people were brutally murdered. In a rare, accusatory speech, Amar blamed the government for failing to address the problem by deporting the instigators.
Violent clashes between Eritreans in South Tel Aviv
Eritrea is considered by some in the West as an oppressive and brutal regime, posing a genuine threat to the lives of its dissents. Consequently, although Eritreans in Israel are not officially recognized as refugees, they are not repatriated under a policy practiced in many countries, which aims to protect individuals from severe rights violations or life-threatening conditions in their homeland.Instead of refugee status, they receive temporary permits allowing them to remain in Israel without permanent residency rights. However, in the case of clear regime supporters, it is unclear why Israel has not deported them, especially considering their violent attacks on asylum seekers who face genuine life threats.The document was written by a judge last September after the Eritrean embassy's requested to be refunded for a bond posted for the release of a supporter of the regime. The Population and Immigration Authority refused having been surprised to learn who paid the bail. The judge ruled that the request should not be considered until the Eritrean is deported and asked why he was allowed to remains in Israel at all.
The Immigration Ministry said that foreigners violating the law risk having their permits revoked and being deported, except in cases where criminal proceedings are ongoing. However, this excludes those who cannot be returned to their home country, where only criminal proceedings are applicable. Eritreans in Israel are protected under a non-deportation policy, which is reviewed periodically.
The National Security Ministry's position is to deport all infiltrators back to their countries. The ministry said it faced challenges in deporting infiltrators due to Supreme Court rulings limiting the state's ability to deport them. Despite this, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the Justice Ministry and the Attorney General for delaying deportations.
