The response of the human rights organizations
to the High Court ruling:
"It's Time for a Real Solution that Will
Benefit Both Residents of South Tel Aviv and the Asylum-Seekers"
The response of the petitioners, the Hotline
for Refugees and Migrants, the Association of Civil Rights in Israel, Assaf
- Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel, Kav LaOved,
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and Amnesty International-Israel:
"The Court made it clear today, once
more, in a categorical and unequivocal manner, that the policy toward
asylum-seekers cannot be solely based on mass detention of innocent people or
complete disregard of the issue. We call on the government: This is the time to
act for the mutual benefit of residents of southern Tel Aviv and asylum-seekers
- by investing money in improving the infrastructure, welfare and health
services in neighborhoods where many asylum-seekers reside, and by working
to decrease the density of population in those areas by granting asylum-seekers
work permits and encouraging Israelis to employ them.
In the ruling issued today, the High Court
justices ruled seven to two that the Holot detention facility will be closed in
three months, and until it is shut down, those detained within it will have to
take part in two daily roll-calls instead of three. In addition. the ruling
abrogated the article in the law that mandated a one-year detention in
Saharonim prison for asylum-seekers who've arrived in Israel since the law came
into effect in December 2013.
"The heart understands the difficulties,
but the mind cannot accept the chosen solution" (Justice Fogelman, from the ruling)
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