In a dramatic turnaround, the Israeli government has scrapped its controversial plan to deport tens of thousands of African asylum seekers, after no African country was willing to accept them. Despite the latest climbdown, the government said immigration authorities would still try to deport migrants voluntarily, drawing criticism from rights groups. Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced that following Uganda’s and Rwanda’s refusal to take in the asylum seekers under the terms Israel demanded, immediate preparations were being made to reopen detention facilities for the Africans. The headquarters of a pro-deportation group based in south Tel Aviv – home to the highest concentration of asylum seekers – criticised the government. South Tel Aviv residents are stuck in the terrible reality the migrants have created,” the group said in a statement.

Source: The Irish Times April 25, 2018 13:52 UTC