Israeli Prime Minister Considers Deportation of Eritrean Migrants Involved in Tel Aviv Riots

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced that he and a team of ministers will look into the possibility of deporting Eritrean migrants who behaved violently during a recent riot in Tel Aviv. The clashes between Eritrean migrants who both supported and opposed the government in Asmara left over 150 people injured, some of them seriously. The team will meet on Sunday to discuss potential actions against those involved in the unrest, including deportation. Israel’s right wing generally rejects African migrants’ claims of asylum-seeking and often refers to all migrants as “illegal infiltrators”. The issue of deportations has been repeatedly struck down or limited by the High Court of Justice, citing the need to find a solution in line with international norms. Saturday’s riots have been used by supporters of the government’s judicial overhaul as an example of court overreach, while opponents argue that it demonstrates the court’s important role in protecting human rights.