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Eritrea:
Jerusalem must repatriate 'deserters', ambassador
By
Barak
Ravid
25 March, 2008 (Haaretz.com)
 The
vast majority - about 2,800 - of the Africans who have entered Israel
illegally from Egypt via Sinai are from Eritrea. Israel and Eritrea
have full diplomatic relations, with embassies in Asmara and in Tel
Aviv, but there is no active dialogue on the refugee issue.
A
few weeks ago, Eritrea's ambassador to Israel even registered an
official protest with the Foreign Ministry, in which he complained
about Israel's failure to repatriate the Eritreans. "These are
not political refugees, but rather work
migrants or army deserters
," the protest said.
The Eritrean ambassador,
Tesfamariam Tekeste, noted Monday in an interview with Haaretz that
his letter of protest included several issues of concern to his
government. First, he said, at least half of the infiltrators
represent themselves as Eritrean while in fact they are from other
African states, such as Sudan or Ethiopia.
"They
know the Eritreans automatically receive a six-month visa, so they
pretend to be Eritrean," he said.
The letter also
mentioned the fear that hostile elements helping to smuggle Africans
into Israel could exploit them for carrying out terror attacks. "If
that happens, the accusing finger will point to Eritrea,"
Tekeste said.
"Israel is turning itself into a migration
destination for Eritrean citizens fleeing from army service or
looking for work," Tekeste said. "The fact that you issue
six-month visas encourages people to come here."
Tekeste's
letter also protested the lack of discussion between the two
countries on the infiltration.
"No one has talked to us
about it and I haven't received any response to my letter of
protest," he said Monday.
The ambassador is infuriated
by claims that repatriated Eritreans face execution. "It's an
unfounded accusation," Tekeste said. "Many of those who
come to Israel leave Eritrea legally and won't be hurt if they
return. Army deserters will be treated in accordance with the law and
drafted."
He also expressed anger about Eritrea's
characterization by Israeli officials as a dictatorship.
Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert faces a dilemma with regard to Eritrea. He wants
to find a human solution to the refugee crisis, but also wants to
take decisive action to prevent the flow of refugees into Israel. He
knows that a fence along the border with Egypt would stop the
infiltration, but the NIS 700 million price tag is daunting.
Tekeste is not the only one who is worried about the lack of
dialogue on the refugee issue. In a discussion on the issue on
Sunday, Olmert asked Foreign Minister deputy director general for
Africa Jacques Revah what was being done vis-a-vis Eritrea or other
African states, and received only a vague response.
Olmert
berated military and Foreign Ministry officials, saying: "You
turned Herzl's vision upside down. Instead of bringing us to Uganda,
you brought Uganda to Israel."
Defense Minister Ehud
Barak said, "The actions of the Foreign Ministry are
perfunctory."
The Foreign Ministry was directed months
ago to come to an agreement with the African countries and the
international community to find places for the infiltrators. One
month ago, the request was repeated, but no progress has been made.
A senior Foreign Ministry official noted that talks with the
U.S., Canada and Kenya on the subject have been fruitless, and that
no state is willing to absorb the infiltrators. The Foreign Ministry
is considering transfering a large percentage of them to Burkina
Faso.
A few weeks ago, Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit cited
Eritrea's "oppressive regime" as the reason for Israel's
issuing of work visas to infiltrators. The Israeli embassy in Asmara
recently sent a report to Jerusalem indicating that Eritreans who
were returned to their homeland "will be placed in rows and shot
or thrown into torture chambers."
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