Huldai urges PM action on infiltrator issue

Tel Aviv mayor writes to Netanyahu asking he convene emergency meeting on alarming increase in number of illegal workers in city, which he claims 'threaten future of society'

Gilad Morag |Published: 12.04.11 , 14:55

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai has asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold an emergency meeting on the alarming increase in the number of infiltrators in Tel Aviv.

In an official letter addressed to the Netanyahu on Sunday, Huldai said he feels this phenomenon "threatens the future of Israel's society."

Huldai went on to claim that the residents living in southern Tel Aviv are suffering from this "growing and aggravating distressful situation."

הפגנה נגד מסתננים בתל אביב. "הזרם שובר שיאים" (צילום: עופר עמרם)

Protest against illegal workers (Photo: Ofer Amram)

"The residents have been abandoned by their country and have been forced to carry this load of absorbing tens of thousands of work immigrants from Africa, aside from their day-to-day hardships."

Interior Ministry statistics brought forth by the Tel Aviv Municipality reveal that Israel is home to some 72,540 legal migrants workers, 117,848 illegal migrant workers and another 38,354 asylum seekers.

According to the municipality's assessments, Tel Aviv hosts some 40,000 infiltrators, and some 20,000 asylum seekers, including 3,000 children. On weekends about 80,000 inhabit the city of Tel Aviv.

פליטים בכיכר רבין. "אנשים שקופים בעיני המדינה" (צילום: רויטרס)

Refugees in Tel Aviv (Photo: Reuters)

"Just as Sisyphus rolled a boulder up a hill, we at the Tel Aviv municipality have invested enormous funds and great effort in attempting to relief the distress of our residents as well as to provide basic care for those people who are 'transparent' in the eyes of the State," Huldai wrote to Netanyahu.

"However the flow of infiltrators keeps increasing and is even breaking records, so much that we find ourselves right back at the bottom of the hill as the crisis worsens and alters entire neighborhoods."

'State must take responsibility'

Huldai called on Netanyahu to address the issue. "The State of Israel can no longer afford to ignore the growing flow of infiltrators, as it is now clear to all that they come here as migrant workers and are not in any existential danger."

נתניהו משוחח עם מסתנן באילת (צילום: אבי אוחיון לע"מ)

Netanyahu meets with infiltrator in Eilat (Photo: Avi Ohayon, GPO)

"We can no longer wait for the promises to build a security fence, which will take years, to materialize. We must take immediate emergency measures to keep the state borders safe from infiltration and illegal immigration, as is expected in any sovereign country. The State must take responsibility once and for all for those migrant workers living here and allocate the necessary resources to deal with them and the terrible distress caused to those residents who are forced to deal with them."

Netanyahu addressed the issue during Sunday's cabinet meeting, noting he believes this issue is "a threat on the economy, society, security and the delicate demographic fiber which the State of Israel is based upon."

The prime minister toured the city of Eilat this week, taking a closer look at the sensitive issue. He later stated that great efforts have been made to complete the construction of the security fence near Eilat. Netanyahu also demanded to take further measures in regards to the fines now given to business owners hiring illegal workers.