Turkish family dreads deportation from Israel

The Ozman family never felt fully accepted in Israel and following contiunuous battles with the immigration authorit decided to return to Turkey, the homeland of parents Eliz and Ismail, in 2007. There, however they felt even more alienated.

"In Turkey, none of the kids wanted to play with me. I asked them why and they said it was because I came from Israel," 13-year-old Barak Ozman said. The family is currently back in Tel Aviv but for an unknown period.

The government is slated to reach a decision soon regarding the fate of foreign workers' children who reside in the country illegally, and will likely decide to allow them to remain in Israel together with their parents. Criteria for such a stay permit have already been set a by a specially-designated committee, however the Ozman kids do not appear to meet them as they have not spent the entire last five years in Israel.

Eliz, mother to Barak and Suzy, 15, arrived in Israel 23 years ago at the age of 17. Today, the family regards Israel as their only home.

"After six months in Turkey it was too much for us," Barak said, recounting the attempts to settle back in his parents' homeland. "We couldn't bear it and we wanted to go back home," his sister added. "We didn’t know anyone, didn't speak their language and were not connected to the culture. Our lives and dreams are here and we couldn't give up on them."

Eliz then approached the Israeli Consulate in order to return to Israel legally but was rejected on the spot. "They didn't even look me in the face. I tried explaining that we had nothing to do with Turkey anymore and that mine and the children's roots are in Israel but they didn't care," she related.

Infiltrating the Egyptian border

Left with no other choice, the family infiltrated back to Israel via the Egyptian border and settled back in Tel Aviv. Eliz and Ismail found an apartment near their previous home and the children returned to their old school.

"Here too, there are kids who laugh at and tell us we don’t belong, but it far less worse than what went on there," Suzy said. "In Turkey we were outright outcasts and at least here in school we're with other Israeli kids who came from different countries and feel like one big family."

Suzy told Ynet of her fear of being deported back to Turkey and her concern for her parents. "Every morning when I get out of bed, I'm scared my mother or father will not come home anymore and be deported."

Barak and Suzy, waiting for their father (Photo: Ofer Amram)

The children's worst nightmare came true last week with father Ismail was involved in a minor car accident on his way back from work. When police officers arrived at the scene they found out he was staying in Israel illegally and arrested him. He has been in the Givon Prison in Ramla since, waiting for a hearing on his case.

Eliz, meanwhile is eight months pregnant with a third child on the way and is at a loss since her husband's arrest. "It's the first time myself and the kids have been away from him for more than a day," she said.

Barak, on his part, has nothing to do than hope that decision makers let his family stay in the country. "They must realize that our future and dreams depend on their one word. That we're in their hands and that their decision will effect the entire course of our lives and our possibility to fulfill our dreams here. If not, we'll be torn away to another place which we do not feel a part of."

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