South Tel Aviv residents petition court to end Eritrean asylum-seekers' protection status
Petition to the Jerusalem District Court calls to end policy and deport regime supporters, citing evidence that many Eritreans have returned home safely
African asylum seekers, mostly from Eritrea, take part in a protest against Israel's deportation policy (Getty)
The petition argues that for nearly 20 years Israel has allowed thousands of Eritrean asylum-seekers to stay, despite evidence that many have returned to Eritrea safely. According to data from the Population and Immigration Authority cited in the petition, more than 4,000 asylum-seekers have returned home with state assistance. The petitioners claim the group protection policy is illegal, "contrary to common sense," and lacks any legal foundation.
The petitioners point to what they call the absurdity of the policy, highlighted by violent clashes between pro- and anti-regime Eritreans in September 2023. Despite openly declaring their support for the regime — from which they supposedly fled — pro-regime asylum-seekers were released from detention. One notable case mentioned is that of Eritrean national Dawit Debes, who admitted in court that he came to Israel for work, supports the Eritrean regime, and only remained due to financial constraints, not security concerns.
Following Ynet's exposé, the petitioners demanded the re-detention and deportation of pro-regime asylum-seekers, arguing that their release was unlawful and that the group protection policy itself contradicts Israeli law. They further allege that the policy has allowed violent criminals to be released without proper risk assessments and has encouraged migrants from other African countries to pose as Eritreans to secure protected status.
Meanwhile, Knesset member Yulia Malinovsky of the Yisrael Beiteinu party has advanced a bill to deport regime-supporting asylum-seekers. The bill passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset last week with 51 votes in favor and none opposed. "The first step toward restoring security and peace for South Tel Aviv residents began today," Malinovsky said after the vote. "Israeli citizens should not have to fear leaving their homes after dark. I visited South Tel Aviv this week and saw the chaos firsthand. Pro-regime Eritrean asylum-seekers are the main drivers of crime in the area. They are here as asylum seekers while supporting the regime — so there is no threat to their safety if they return home."
According to the proposed legislation, an asylum-seeker who directly or indirectly supports their home country's regime could be deported if the interior minister is convinced of their affiliation after giving them a chance to respond.
Attorney Yonatan Jakubowicz, founder of the Israeli Immigration Policy Center and one of the petition’s initiators, said: "It’s time to end this outrageous absurdity, enforce the law, and restore logic to Israel's immigration policy. The state has documented conversations with hundreds of infiltrators who returned to Eritrea and confirmed they were not harmed. The fact that pro-regime supporters are being released based on a supposed fear of persecution while their own government posts bail for them is the height of absurdity. We hope the court will order their deportation, bringing back some sense of security to South Tel Aviv residents and strengthening the rule of law in Israel."
