Date: Tuesday, 03 January 2017
European Union report says it's safe to send Eritreans home, returnees face no consequences.
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As well, the report clarifies that "according to a new, unpublished directive, such returnees are exempt from punishment...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.
