Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman said Thursday that Israel 'shealth 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