The proposal, by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, comes in response to a High Court of Justice ruling in late August that backed Israel’s controversial practice of deporting illegal migrants to an unnamed third country, while saying the government cannot jail those who refuse to go for more than 60 days.

According to the new plan, those who refuse deportation will be jailed.

The plan acknowledges efforts to step up deportations of African migrants in the coming months.

“In light of the intention to see the departure of infiltrators on a large scale to third countries, we may reconsider the need for the continued existence of the Holot facility, as the infiltrators’ departure could come directly from city centers to the third countries,” it said.

Ministers suggested keeping Holot open for another four months, after which it would close unless ministers sign another extension.

In August, the High Court of Justice approved the emigration policy, but also ruled that Israeli authorities had to first ensure that the countries to which migrants were being deported was safe. Though the state hasn’t named the third countries, they have been identified in media reports as Rwanda and Uganda.

Expulsion to a third country is largely unprecedented in the Western world. Italy and Australia signed similar agreements with third-party countries — Italy with Libya, and Australia with Malaysia — but both proposals were shot down by local courts. In both cases, courts ruled the bills inconsistent with international law and the 1951 UN convention on refugees — to which Israel is also a party.

However, the High Court also ruled that since the deportations could only be carried out with the consent of the migrants, refusal to leave Israel cannot be considered uncooperative behavior, and authorities thus may not imprison migrants who refuse to leave for more than 60 days.

Previously Israel had detained refugees in Holot for up to 12 months.

The Population and Immigration Authority says over 40,000 illegal African migrants are residing in Israel as of 2016, almost all from Eritrea and Sudan. Many live in the poorer neighborhoods of southern Tel Aviv, with some blaming them for rising crime rates in the city.

Many say they are fleeing conflict and persecution and are seeking refugee status. Israeli officials contend they are economic migrants, and have resisted calls to recognize them as refugees.