jailing and deporting kids
The reorganized migration police have made their anouncement; as of the end of this month they will be arresting kids, send them to jail and deport them.
There is something so evil and amoral about it, i am at a loss for words.
The little girl in the photogrph was born here, her parents fled Darfour. What rights does she have? Israel signed and ratified the international charter on the rights of children, but who cares?
Some do: Today a few thousand people, both migrant laborers, refugees and veteran Israelis met for a demo & happening in the Levinsky park next to the Tel Aviv central bus station. Politicians and activists as well as many families with their kids met to demonstrate against the cruel and unusual measures that are about to be taken by the Israeli ministry of the interior and the migration police.
Other nasty measures they want to introduce or enforce: In addition they want to return refugees at the border, an act which may literally endanger their lives as Egyptian soldiers have been known to shoot at the refugees. Also they will not allow refugees to live in the central area of the country and in Eilat, although that is the area where all the services are centred and where there are job opportunities. Not too long ago our parents and grand parents were refugees. Is our memory THAT short?
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2 comments:
it's disturbing I have to agree but at the same time I'm inclined to support the actions of the state somewhat. i work once a week at a clinic that specializes in treatment for refugees and disparate populations in israel without sufficient health coverage. although there are many cases that we see of refugees fleeing persecution, they have now become the minority as the majority who i have been treating recently are economic refugees looking at israel as the promised land. there isn't anything really wrong with this except these migrants know that the gov't of israel has rules concerning residency and citizenship but they choose to flout the rules and run for the border. i also volunteer in the health division of the ardc, a group that deals specifically with refugees in israel and i'm of mind that although my experiences aren't totally representative as I only see a fraction of those present in israel, it's representative of a sub segment that don't really respect the rules that are there to ensure that those truly in need are protected here. I'm out there fighting for the rights of the refugees too, but not all of them.
What ever their parents' status, kids should not be jailed, nor deported.
Many children were born here or have been here from a very young age. They go to school here, Hebrew is their native language. Israeli culture is the culture they know best. Many of them do not know a thing about their parents' country or countries. They have no one and nothing there.
Especially when dealing with children, i believe one should judge lightly rather than harshly.
Israel's policy is one of a total disregard of human rights.
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