Israeli military recruits African asylum-seekers for war in Gaza

Posted by Admin September 16, 2024 Sports

The Israeli military has reportedly been recruiting African asylum-seekers to support its war efforts in Gaza, offering promises of permanent residency in return. But refugee advocacy groups say they have reason to doubt that asylum seekers are receiving what was promised.

Israeli media reported on Sunday that the government has been recruiting African asylum-seekers for the war in Gaza in return for being given permanent residency in Israel.

Military sources, speaking to Israel’s “Haaretz” news outlet, confirmed that the recruitment was being organised “with legal guidance from defense establishment advisers” but the manner in which the recruits will be used has not been made public.

Approximately 30,000 asylum-seekers, most from Sudan and Eritrea, resided in Israel as of 2020 but fewer than 1% of asylum claims are approved, according to Shira Abbo, director of public policy at Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, Israel’s leading refugee advocacy organisation.

The UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention states that a refugee is someone who a host state or international body recognises as not being able to return to a home country due to a “well-founded fear of being persecuted”. In contrast, an asylum seeker is someone still awaiting that recognition.