Canada expresses concerns over Israel's plan to deport African refugees
Ottawa, Feb 19 (IBNS): Canada has expressed its concern over Israel's planning of mass deportation of African asylum seekers, media reports said.
Around 37000 citizens, who are considered to be illegal occupants, from Sudan and Eritria have been ordered to vacate Israel.
If they do not leave the country voluntarily, the asylum seekers will be imprisoned indefinitely.
Adam Austen, spokesperson of Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, has voiced the government's concern.
"Canada does not support policies of mass deportations of asylum seekers. The rights of asylum seekers and refugees are laid out in the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees, of which Israel is a signatory" Austen was quoted by CBC News.
"As the country that resettles the highest number of African asylum-seekers from Israel, we are in direct contact with the Government of Israel to convey Canada's concerns about the situation" Austen added.
Though the Israeli government did not reveal the names of the country where the asylum seekers will be deported, Rwanda and Uganda could be the possible destinations, report said.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has termed the African asylum seekers as "illegal infiltrators" who are seeking jobs instead of refugee protections.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.