The anti- and pro-Eritrean regime protesters have come head-to-head in Tel Aviv, but what is the conflict about?
By JOANIE MARGULIESSEPTEMBER 2, 2023 19:39Updated: SEPTEMBER 3, 2023 15:18
Israel is home to some 30,000 refugees, around 90% of whom are seeking asylum from Eritrea or Sudan. Of those thousands, less than 1% of those refugees are recognized by the state of Israel, contributing to one of the lowest refugee acceptance rates in the Western world. This is despite the nation ratifying the United Nations Refugee Convention of 1951 and its Protocols of 1964.
Eritreans make up the majority of Israel’s population of African asylum-seekers, fleeing from a nation referred to as the “North Korea of Africa,” for reasons beyond the dictatorship of 77-year-old President Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power since 1993. The nation boasts obligatory (forced) military enlistment, listed as slavery-like conditions by the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, and other human rights groups.
After Afwerki took power as Eritrea gained independence from neighboring Ethiopia, Eritrea immediately became a place where people could not come and go as they pleased. In addition to no free media nor free elections, the nation requires exit visas for anyone wishing to leave the country.
Even if they had something to help them leave the country, they would not actually be able to without a visa to do so. With forced military service that has no end date, staying in the country does not provide any resident with good options.
It is also important to note that being an Eritrean refugee does not automatically make a person anti-regime. Though many are, there are a handful of refugees from Eritrea who, due to their support of the government would not qualify for refugee status according to the United Nations Human Rights Convention, it’s all the same in the eyes of Israeli authorities.
The right to protest does not exist in Eritrea and could lead to death at the hands of authorities.
Why would pro-regime Eritreans be in Israel?
Other reasons why someone who is pro-regime would be in Israel rather than back home in Eritrea include a lack of religious freedom, with specific religious groups being stripped of citizenship. According to a report by the United States Human Rights Commission, Jehovah’s Witnesses were stripped of their citizenship in 1993 and are not allowed to exercise basic rights.
In addition, whether someone is for or against this government, they are still subject to the human rights violations that have caused so many to flee for fear of their lives. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended Eritrea be designated as a Country of Particular Concern since 2004, and the United States has implemented strict sanctions against the country since 2002.
Those living in the Eritrean diaspora are also subject to the national Recovery and Rehabilitation tax – expecting those living outside of the country to pay 2% of their income toward government expenses.
According to information provided by the African Refugee Development Center, an Israeli NGO that provides resources to Tel Aviv’s African asylum seekers, Israel upholds the principle of non-refoulement, acknowledging that some asylum seekers are in danger if returned to their home countries. In turn, the state policy toward these asylum seekers is one of temporary non-deportation, officially referred to as “group protection,” according to the organization’s website.
“The only right this status gives them is a temporary stay on deportation, and they must renew their visas every 3-6 months. Additionally, the state has employed various tactics to coerce asylum seekers into “choosing” to leave on their own, including detention, limited access to medical care, and withholding of wages,” the organization writes.Saturday’s events could lead to deportation for many, ultimately sending them to their deaths.
However, Israeli authorities received ample warning by the Eritrean community that allowing the event to happen would have dire consequences. A letter penned by Tel Aviv’s Eritrean church leaders cited that social media and previous events led them to believe the tension caused by this event could cause a violent outbreak – as it had previously.
source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-757331
