ICERAS

“Better a prison in Israel than dying on the way”, stated the Eritrean refugees we interviewed in Europe, their eyes full of sorrow, remembering the unbearable experiences they went through on their journey to safety.
They lived in Israel, asked for protection, and instead of getting asylum they were pressured to leave to Rwanda and Uganda. The report we publish here in English today, based on a research made in Germany and the Netherlands, clearly demonstrate that the promises the Israeli government made regarding what awaits them In Rwanda and Uganda were proven to be false. Instead of being granted access to a process of applying for asylum or work permits, as promised by the Israeli government, the deportees, upon landing, were placed in a precarious situation. Lacking identifying documentation, exposed to robberies, threats and arrest, they were forced to embark on a dangerous journey that included passing through South Sudan, Sudan and Libya in search of safety. Throughout the journey, the refugees were subjected to human trafficking, incarceration, the threat of forcible deportation to Eritrea, harsh conditions of starvation, violence, slavery in torture camps in Libya and a dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Europe. The interviewees described a perilous journey permeated with an all-encompassing fear of death: many witnessed the death of fellow travellers during the crossing of the Sahara Desert, in the torture camps in Libya and as they drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. Among the dead were others who had who left Israel “voluntarily.”
The survivors we met all said clearly, “everyone should know the truth. Not another human should go through what we experienced. The current plan of the Israeli government to deport all refugees must be stopped!”.

And it can be stopped!. Read the testimonies, share the information and join the struggle!
STOP the DEPORTATION of REFUGEES from ISREAL!

I deeply thank my partners for a remarkable collaborative work- Liat Boltzman and Lior Birger
Thank you also for the many who helped published this report and especially to Shani Bar Tuvia. And a special acknowledgment to the participants of this research, who agreed to share their stories in order to prevent further suffering.