New Israeli “Anti-Infiltration” law punishes asylum seekers

Human Rights Watch has called on the Israeli parliament to amend or repeal a newly revised law that punishes asylum seekers for irregularly crossing into Israel. The Prevention of Infiltration Law considers all irregular border-crossers to be "infiltrators" and permits Israeli authorities to detain all irregular border crossers for three years or more before their deportation. The Anti-Infiltration law also allows for the indefinite detention of some irregular migrants, even if border officials recognise that they may face persecution if returned to their country. As is noted by HRW, these provisions violate international refugee standards.

Prosecution of irregular border-crossers is also provided for within the legislation, unlawful entry being defined as the crime of ‘infiltration’. The legislation also says that the detention of irregular migrants falls under an administrative procedure that does not guarantee them access to a lawyer to challenge their detention.

This legislation comes in the context of a number of anti-immigrant speeches by Israeli politicians and numerous attacks in the country against sub-Saharan Africans. HRW has stated that Israeli officials should not enforce the provisions of the Anti-Infiltration law until it is amended, due to the number of international human rights standards violated by these provisions.

Click here to read an article from Human Rights Watch on the legislation.

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