Israel Agrees to Accept Darfuris

Citizenship will be extended to some, not all, Sudanese refugees
By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 6, 2007 6:03 PM CDT
Israel Agrees to Accept Darfuris
Sudanese refugees hold signs against the deportation of refugees during a demonstration outside the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007. Dozens of Sudanese refugees and Israeli activists protested on Wednesday against the Israeli government's policy to turn away refugees...   (Associated Press)

Israel has softened its stance on the Sudanese refugees who have been seeking the right to stay in the country, saying yesterday it will grant citizenship to 300 to 500 Darfuris whose fate has generated widespread concern. Said the Jewish state’s interior minister, “Israel, with its history, must offer assistance.” Refugee advocates applauded the decision, the Christian Science Monitor reports, but not the terms.

Critics say Israel should accept all 1,700 refugees from Sudan, not just the ones from Darfur. There is also much dismay over the policy of “hot return,” which directs border guards to force new refugees back into Egypt. As the debate has raged in Israel over the African immigrants, some kibbutzim have offered them shelter. (More Israel stories.)

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