On July 14, Israel reportedly transferred 14 Eritrean asylum seekers, who
had signed on the dotted line, from the Saharonim detention center near the
Egyptian border to Tel Aviv International airport. From there they flew via
Istanbul to Eritrea, with the help of the Eritrean Ambassador to Israel.
Israel says they are now safely back in the hands
of the Eritrean government. Since 2004, its appalling human rights record has
driven hundreds of thousands of Eritreans to escape their country. Eritrea´'s
abuses– including life-long military service, torture, enforced disappearances
and religious persecution, to list just a few – are such that four out of every
five Eritrean asylum seekers worldwide are recognized as refugees or given
other protected status.
But not Eritrean asylum seekers in Israel.
