Yishai: Flood of migrant workers must be stopped
Anyone employing infiltrator does so against the law, says interior minister. According to Eilat mayor, enterprise generates hundreds of millions of dollars
Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) on Monday promised to continue his battle against migrant workers who enter Israel illegally, in spite of a temporary shortage in farm workers.
As work on construction of an electronic fence begins on the Egyptian border, Yishai demanded during a discussion of the Knesset's Committee on Foreign Workers that "the flood" be stopped and presented some steps he thinks should be taken.
"I do not wish to repeat things that have been said on the dangers of losing a Jewish majority in the State of Israel, but the danger is an existential one," Yishai warned as he gave recommendations to those opposing the expulsion of migrant workers.
"All these bleeding hearts who don't live or hang out near these neighborhoods can talk all they want, I suggest that they come to southern Tel Aviv and see what is happening there, see how everything is crashing and falling apart around us. I was there with the finance minister six months ago and you could just weep over what is happening there."
In Yishai's opinion, "There is no difference between a migrant worker who seeks to enter Israel by land, air or sea."
He said that only 0.01% of the migrants were recognized as refugees and addressed the storm that broke over the possible expulsion of the children of migrant workers. "What I have to say is very simple – children are not an insurance policy. Anyone who resides in Israel illegally must leave the country."
And while construction on the electronic fence begins on the Egyptian border, Yishai thinks that additional steps must be taken against infiltrators: "The fence must be constructed immediately and by one contractor, military forces must be placed at the border fence as a human barrier, closed detention centers must be constructed near border crossings and efforts must be made to prevent infiltrators from getting work in Israel. It must be made clear that anyone employing an infiltrator is doing so against the law. The deluge must be stopped."
Amos Gilad: Infiltration a goldmine
Yishai also said that he instructed the head of the Population, Immigration and Border Authority, Amnon Ben-Ami, to stringently enforce the law which prohibits employment of foreign workers from January and to fine those that do heavily.
At the meeting, the Defense Ministry director-general revealed that the fence would only be placed along 140 kilometers of the Egyptian border rather than the entire length of 250 kilometers. "The land issue is problematic. It isn't just about placing physical obstacles, but about the electronic components," said Ehud Shani. "The budget for the program is NIS 1.4 billion ($384,509,759) which is only enough for 140 kilometers."
The mayor of Eilat, where the number of infiltrators is the highest in the country, blamed the authorities. "In a year and a half the city is suddenly changing without knowing how to control the change, there is complete chaos," said Meir Yitzhak Halevi. "This is an enterprise that generates hundreds of millions of dollars; each poor infiltrator can generate thousands of dollars."
The head of the Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Borough Amos Gilad strengthened the mayor's statements, stating that "infiltration is a goldmine. The Egyptians will do what they can but the result remains the same, for many reasons, including the dominance of the Bedouins in the Sinai region."
- Follow Ynetnews on Facebook
