Israel’s Jail for Africans

How Seeking Asylum Became Criminal

The walls are vast and the conditions poor deep in the Negev desert of Israel where the Saharonim prison has been created. This prison was not created for the same reasons most prisons are created for; the detention of people who are deemed too dangerous to be amongst society, but, was specifically put in place for African asylum seekers.

For those who have made the dangerous journey through the inhospitable Sinai peninsula and were able to cross the Egyptian-Israeli border in the hopes of starting a better life, shock and sadness meet them when they are without trial taken by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to one of four camps designated to hold asylum seekers, mostly of african origin.

This is all possible thanks to the amendment that was passed on January 12, 2012, which revised a 1954 Prevention of Infiltration law, that since taking effect on June 3rd of that same year, has considered any person crossing the Israeli border illegally as “infiltrators”. Despite calls from the Humans Right Watch to amend this law that would “punish refugees in violation of international law”, it has received nothing in response from the Israeli government and has largely been ignored by mainstream media.

Fueling the fire even more, government officials have been accused by many of inciting hatred towards the African community living within their country, even having current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proudly proclaim “We’ve succeeded in halting the infiltrators from Africa to Israel”.

Hopeless and destitute, on June 23 of 2013, 350 of the detainees of Saharonim prison went on a hunger strike, and one of the individuals on the hunger strike wrote a letter which was originally published in Hebrew but translated to:

We were prosecuted and victimized in our country and we didn’t have democracy. We were not able to live in peace. Many among us were tortured and raped in Sinai. When we reached this democratic state of Israel, we didn't expect such harsh punishment in prison and we still don’t know which crime it is that makes us suffer for such a long time in this prison. We lost all hope and became frustrated by this situation so that we ask you to either provide us with a solution or send us to our country, no matter what will happen to us, even if we have to endure death penalty by the Eritrean regime.

Although, the hunger strike was not a success and ended exactly a week after it had begun many of the jailed Africans understanding that the situation would only get worse have agreed to sign a document acknowledging that they would return back to their native lands.

Even if in those native lands they are guaranteed upon arrival certain death.