Saharonim Prison
{{Short description|Israeli detention facility}}
The Saharonim Prison is an Israeli detention facility for African asylum seekers located in the Negev desert. It is the largest of a planned four camps with its total capacity of 8,000 inmates. Together with the Ktzi'ot prison, Sadot prison and the Nachal Raviv tent camp they detain South Sudanese, Sudanese and Eritrean asylum seekers who crossed the border from Egypt to Israel.
Since 2010 provisions were made to detain the immigrants in the old Ktzi'ot Prison, formally used as a detention camp for Palestinians.
On January 10, 2012 the Israeli parliament (Knesset) voted a controversial amendment bill to the 1954 Prevention of Infiltration Law{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-s-anti-infiltration-law-is-a-disgrace-1.406653|title=Israel's anti-infiltration law is a disgrace|newspaper=Haaretz Editorial|date=January 11, 2012}} that made detention for up to three years possible for African immigrants, without trial. In the spring of 2012 the construction of the Saharonim Prison was started, exempt from most local and national regulations, as requested by the Israeli Defense Ministry.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israelis-build-the-worlds-biggest-detention-centre-7547401.html|title=Israelis build the world's biggest detention centre|newspaper=Independent|first=Catrina|last=Stewart|date=March 10, 2012|access-date=August 24, 2024}}{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-seeks-to-build-tent-camp-for-african-migrants-with-no-sewage-or-proper-facilities.premium-1.437205|title=Israel seeks to build tent camp for African migrants with no sewage or proper facilities|newspaper=Haaretz|first=Gili|last=Cohen|date=June 9, 2012|access-date=August 24, 2024}}
Location
The prison is located in the southern Negev desert, close to the Israeli-Egyptian border.
The region is known for its harsh living conditions both in summer as in winter.
Controversies
On June 24, 2013 a hunger strike was started by 350 mostly Eritrean detainees in blocks 3 and 4 of the prison.{{cite news |url=http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Protests-continue-at-African-migrants-detention-center-318230|title=Protests continue at African migrants detention center|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|first=Ben|last=Hartman|date=June 30, 2013|access-date=August 24, 2024}}{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4398026,00.html|title=Saharonim detainees go on hunger strike|newspaper=Ynet.com|date=June 27, 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.532707|title=Hungering for justice at Saharonim|newspaper=Haaretz Editorial|date=June 30, 2013}}
In a letter by one of the hunger strikers that was published in Hebrew,{{cite news |url=http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/2952/2659039|title=פיתרון לבעיה שלנו - או שנמות|newspaper=Walla News|year=2013}} described their encounter with immigration authority officers during the hunger strike:
{{Blockquote|We were prosecuted and victimized in our country and we didn’t have democracy. We were not able to live in peace. Many among us were tortured and raped in Sinai. When we reached this democratic state of Israel, we didn’t expect such harsh punishment in prison and we still don’t know which crime it is that makes us suffer for such a long time in this prison.{{cite news |url=http://africasacountry.com/the-promised-land/|title=The Promised Land|newspaper=africasacountry.com|date=July 15, 2013}}}}
As of September 2013 there were around 1,800 refugees imprisoned, 1,400 of them in Saharonim and 400 in Ktziot.{{cite news |url=http://jfjfp.com/?p=49004|title=Law allowing 3-year imprisonment for 'infiltrators' outlawed.|newspaper="Jews for Justice for Palestinians" NGO|date=September 16, 2013}}
In September 2013 the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that imprisoning African migrants for long periods is unconstitutional.{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4430459,00.html|title=High Court: Infiltrators cannot be held for 3 years.|newspaper=ynetnews.com|date=September 16, 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://jfjfp.com/?p=49004|title=Law allowing 3-year imprisonment for 'infiltrators' outlawed|newspaper="Jews for Justice for Palestinians" NGO.|date=September 16, 2013}}
The court also ruled that migrants, refugees and asylum seekers detained in the Ktziot and Saharonim prisons should be released within 90 days and those that cross the border illegally can only be detained for one year in the future.
The Israeli government has responded by passing an amended law to reduce the period of detention to one year and proposed the indefinite detention in "open" detention centers without judicial review.
As of January 2014, some 2,500 asylum seekers are housed at Saharonim and Ktziot prisons, 41 of them are children imprisoned with their parents. Of these, 15 are infants and toddlers up to the age of two, and 26 are children up to the age of 10.{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4374805,00.html|title=Judge orders release of Eritrean woman, her 2 kids from jail|newspaper=Ynet.com|date=January 5, 2014}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20121018173547/http://www.hotline.org.il/english/pdf/asylum_procedures_2012_eng.pdf "Until our hearts are completely hardened."] Report on asylum procedures in Israel, Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, April 2012.
- [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Immigration/SudaneseRefugees.html Sudanese Refugees in Israel.] Jewish virtual library.
- [http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Association-of-Sudanese-Refugees-in-Israel-RA-580519809/294561535667 The Association of Sudanese Refugees in Israel.] Facebook community.
- [http://www.plitim.co.il/ "Plitim"]. Israeli non-governmental organisation providing support to refugees.
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|30.8853|N|34.4530|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sudanese Refugees In Israel}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Southern District (Israel)