South TA residents to AG: We live amongst 'lawless' migrants
Representatives of city's southern neighborhoods urge Attorney General Weinstein to revise infiltration law, change deportation policy
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein met on Sunday with representatives of the residents of Tel Aviv's southern neighborhoods, who were expected to ask that he enforce the infiltration prevention law, which allows the State to detain foreigners entering Israel via the Sinai Peninsula for a period of three or more years without a trial, even if they are not up for deportation.
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The representatives were also expected to demand that the government change its deportation policy.
"For some reason, the government is under the impression that the situation (in south Tel Aviv) is calm, but it's not," said Shlomo Maslwai, one of the representatives.
Representatives before meeting with AG Weinstein (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
Speaking to Ynet, Maslawi said, "We are stuck here with 70,000 lawless infiltrators."
The meeting focused on the proposed amendment to the infiltration law. Currently, the law is enforced only against migrants who had illegally entered the country after the law went into effect – in June 2012.
The south Tel Aviv residents want AG Weinstein to see to it that the law applies to the tens of thousands of African migrants – mostly Eritrean and Sudanese – who infiltrated Israel before the legislation was passed.
"The law provides a solution, but it is not being enforced," Maslawi told Ynet. "The State invested hundreds of millions in holding facilities for nothing. Those who are living amongst us entered the country illegally, and those who are entering now are also doing so illegally, so what's changed? Should those who infiltrated Israel (before the law went into effect) be rewarded?"
Maslawi said the residents' representatives will make it clear to Weinstein "that the law is lacking and must be revised, and that his policy has led to the severe situation in our neighborhoods and gives more people legitimacy to infiltrate Israel. To those who are already here - (the policy) establishes their illegal status."
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