The African Exodus

African Refugees: Since the year 2000 refugees from Africa have been seeking refuge in Israel. Close to 1000 refugees arrived in Israel by the end of 2006. In 2007 the wave of refugees arriving to Israel from Egypt increased significantly, and during the year 5000 additional refugees came to Israel. This complicated reality reflects the dire political, security and economic situation in Africa. Millions of Africans have joined the wave of African refugees in the last decade due to civil wars and natural disasters: In Sudan and in the Congo, in Somalia and in Eritrea, in Niger and in Chad, in Liberia and in the Ivory Coast, and the list goes on. Hundreds of refugee camps were established throughout the continent for extensive humanitarian and professional aid. These refugees join the large group of people whose impossible living conditions in Africa push them, as illegal immigrants, towards Europe. In the last decade close to 10,000,000 (ten million) illegal immigrants came to Europe, most of them from Africa. The main countries through which the refugees come are Spain, Italy and Greece. Approximately 3,000,000 illegal immigrants arrived in Spain alone, some of who were also asylum seekers. A section of this surge of people with nothing is at this moment also knocking on Israel’s borders. In the last months 10 – 20 people have arrived in Israeli every night, seeking refuge and work,

African refugees in Israel: Up to now the state of Israel has no clear, agreed policy on how to handle the refugee phenomenon. The increase in the phenomenon has expanded the scope of activities of various organizations dealing with human rights such as “the Hotline for Migrant Workers”, Amnesty International and others, alongside community and humanitarian organizations such as the “Kibbutz Movement” and Brit Olam and youth organizations, especially Hanoar Haoved ve Halomed (The Federation of Young Students and Workers), Mahanot Haolim) and Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. During the year an inter-organization coalition was established to create a network and increase co-operation between the organizations for the consolidation of agreed-upon policies.

Brit Olam’s activity for African refugees

 As an International Israeli-Jewish humanitarian aid organization, Brit Olam has been dealing for some time in aiding the refugees in Israel and in Africa. Dealing with the issue was central to Brit Olam’s agenda during the past year.

The activities regarding this issue are based on experience gained in a number of areas:

1.       Active involvement in international humanitarian aid in the past years, and especially aid during the East Asian tsunami disaster to the Internally Displaced People in India and Sri Lanka,

2.       Aid to the African refugees in Israel, and especially support for the children and teenagers, by the initiation and active partnership in the formation and operation of “the Israeli Coalition for African Refugees in Israel”.

3.       Aid to the Congolese refugees within the framework of the ‘Band Aid’ project for the victims of the Eastern Congo civil war (in partnership with the Student Union and ‘Latet’), and varied experience with refugees and Internally Displaced People in Sri Lanka and India following the Tsunami disaster.

4.       Initial aid to the Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia.

These activities form the operation scope of Brit Olam in the field of aid to refugees:

1.       Aid to the refugees in Israel through a range of activities and operations, including humanitarian aid in Tel Aviv and in the refugee camp in Kziot, assistance and treatment for children and teenagers, professional training and more.

2.       Aid to the African refugees, first and foremost by aiding the refugees residing in refugee camps in Ethiopia, many of whom come from various African countries and nationalities.

3.       Coordination and formation of complete policies in dealing with the issue of the refugees in Israel and the laying of foundations for operating programs in Africa.

4.       Promotion of the inter-organizational coordination and cooperation within the framework of the Israeli Coalition for the African Refugees in Israel. 

 All the activities for the refugees are undertaken by a wonderful group of volunteers, each bringing their own area of expertise to the projects. A special thank you to Daniella Beilin for her involvement and deep commitment to the refugees in Africa and Israel, to Yonatan Glaser, Dr. Hadas Yaron, Chagit Goldstein, Chagit Armoni, Anat Dagan, Milat Biberman, Roy Jacob Stein, Dr. Dan Livon, Noa Fizer, Moran Mor, Yoni Belsberg and many others for their help, involvement, caring and trust. Thank you also to the Brit Olam team – to Uri Amit who is supporting the Chircola camp, to Michal Mushinsky for her work for the refugee children and to Erez Cohen for his activities for the refugees in the Congo. 

For more information please write to Avital Banai - Coordinator of Activities for the Refugees - idarfur@gmail.com