The response of the petitioners, the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, the Association of Civil Rights in Israel, Assaf – Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel, Kav LaOved, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and Amnesty International-Israel, is as follows.
“It’s Time for a Real Solution that Will Benefit Both Residents of South Tel Aviv and Asylum Seekers”
The Court made it clear today, once more, in a categorical and unequivocal manner, that the policy toward asylum seekers cannot be solely based on mass detention of innocent people or complete disregard of the issue. We call on the government: This is the time to act for the mutual benefit of residents of southern Tel Aviv and asylum seekers – by investing money in improving the infrastructure, welfare and health services in neighborhoods where many asylum seekers reside and by working to decrease the density of population in those areas by granting asylum-seekers work permits and encouraging Israelis to employ them.
In the ruling issued today, the High Court justices ruled seven to two that the Holot detention facility will be closed in three months, and until it is shut down, those detained within it will have to take part in two daily roll-calls instead of three. In addition, the ruling abrogated the article in the law that mandated a one-year detention in Saharonim prison for asylum seekers who’ve arrived in Israel since the law came into effect in December 2013.
“The heart understands the difficulties, but the mind cannot accept the chosen solution”
(Justice Fogelman, from the ruling)
