http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222642
EU: Safe to send Eritreans home
European Union report says it's safe to send Eritreans home, returnees
face no consequences.
Chana Roberts, 02/01/17 13:51
The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) published a report on Monday
stating that those who left the country to avoid draft evasion should
be sent back to do their national service.
The report, which was completed in November 2016 and reviewed by EU
Member States, also said that the treatment deserters receive in
Eritrea "appears to have become less harsh in recent years."
"Most sources report that first-time offenders are now usually
detained for several months. Punishment for deserters from the
military part of national service is reportedly more severe than
punishment imposed on those deployed in the civilian part. As
deserters are not tracked down systematically, a number of them
effectively go unpunished," the report states.
As well, the report clarifies that "according to a new, unpublished
directive, such returnees are exempt from punishment... The majority
of the individuals who have returned according to this directive
have...not been persecuted. The few available reports indicate that
the authorities treat them similarly as persons apprehended within
Eritrea or while leaving illegally.
"For deserters and draft evaders, this means being sent back to
national service after several months of detention. Regularization is
not necessary for persons who have not reached conscription age yet or
who have fulfilled their national service duty already."
Desertion, illegal exit, and draft evasion are the three main reasons
Eritrean citizens seek asylum from the countries they infiltrate.
Israel has suffered for several years from Sudanese and Eritrean
infiltration. Recently, Former Minister Eli Yishai said there is no
reason the Eritreans cannot be sent home safely, and criticized the
Israeli government for its lack of action, In addition, a Swiss
delegation confirmed returnees face no consequences upon their return
to Eritrea.
Though the infiltrators threaten Israeli citizens' security, they
recently received a state-of-the-art preschool for their "anchor
babies" while the Israeli children in the neighborhood had to use a
run-down facility with numerous safety and health hazards.
Received on Mon Jan 02 2017 - 16:19:32 EST