Yishai gives Ivory Coast citizens 2 weeks to leave Israel
State to give any migrant who voluntarily leaves Israel in next two weeks $500; $100 per child
Yishai has instructed the Population, Immigration and Borders Authority to commence proceedings for the return of illegal Ivory Coast migrants. During the two-week period, any migrant who leaves Israel voluntarily will be entitled to a state grant: $500 for adults, $100 for children.
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Migrants who stay past the deadline will be jailed and denied the grant. "This is an important step to returning the infiltrators to their homeland and restoring Israelis' sense of security," Yishai said.
The Immigration Authority estimates that out of Israel's 60,000 infiltrators, 50,000 are asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea – countries to which Israel does not send back immigrants due to international obligations.
Earlier this week, the Jerusalem District Court denied the petition of 132 Ivory Coast citizens who motioned against their deportation. Last December, the Interior Ministry decided to lift their group protection and deport them.
The grant given to Ivory Coast citizens is smaller than that given to South Sudan asylum seekers who received $1,300 per adult, $500 per child.
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