Litzman: Infiltrators cost us NIS 50M a year

Deputy health minister claims African refugees receive treatment 'at the expense of Israel's weak population'

Carmit Reuven|Published: 05.31.12 , 17:10

Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman said Thursday that Israel's health system is spending more than NIS 50 million (roughly $13 million) a year to fund the African refugees' health care, "at the expense of the weak population."

He further added, "This must be stopped and I call on the Treasury to allocate special resources to this end. This is a burden that creates hospital deficits. There is no reason for Israelis to pay such a dear price. "

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Meanwhile, the Population, Immigration and Border Authority published information indicating a rise in the number of African infiltrators entering Israel.

According to the data, some 2,031 infiltrators entered Israel via Egypt in the past month, compared to 637 in May 2011.

Since the beginning of the year, 8,644 infiltrators entered Israel, most of which came from Eritrea.

Omri Efraim contributed to this report