More than 1,000 African asylum seekers in Israel staged a sit-in, Saturday, near the southern border with Egypt, after marching in protest of conditions in the Holot internment camp.
Earlier in the day, Israeli soldiers stopped the marchers nearly 300 metres from the border, as they attempted to cross back into Egypt.
‘We will stay at the camp near the Egyptian border until a solution is found that respects our rights as refugees,’ said a statement by asylum-seekers from the camp.
The asylum-seekers requested material and political support for their struggle, stating that sooner or later they will be evicted from their camp.
“Immigration officials were at the camp yesterday and took pictures of the people here. The Israeli authorities could arrive at any point and take us to the Saharaonim closed prison,” notes the statement.
As they sat on the border with Egypt, asylum-seekers urged the UN refugee agency and the international community to take charge of their cases.
Last week, Israeli authorities transferred some 20 asylum seekers who have been leading an ongoing strike to Saharaonim.
Details at AIC.
