AFRICAN MIGRANTS AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN ISRAEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002744 SIPDIS SIPDIS GENEVA FOR RMA USEU FOR FRANCIS JERUSALEM AND CAIRO FOR REFCOORDS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2012 TAGS: PREF PHUM EUN IS SU EG SUBJECT: AFRICAN MIGRANTS AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN ISRAEL REF: A. STATE 125576 ¶B. STATE 103854 ¶C. STATE 115776 ¶D. GENEVA 1914 ¶E. TEL AVIV 2536 ¶F. CAIRO 2320 AND PREVIOUS ¶G. USEU BRUSSELS 2628 Classified By: POL/C Marc Sievers reasons 1.4(b/d) ¶1. (C) Embassy refugee reporting officer (RRO) delivered demarche requested in Reftel A to Simona Halperin, MFA Acting Director of International Organizations and Human Rights. RRO stressed the humanitarian and political importance of formalizing Egypt and Israel's commitments in a UNHCR-mediated agreement. Halperin reiterated that while the GOI continues to have some misgivings about the UNHCR-Egypt relationship, ISRAEL welcomes the participation of UNHCR in this process. She added that the involvement ISRAEL would most like to see on this issue is increased USG engagement with the GOE. ¶2. (C) Halperin said that a formal cabinet resolution on granting status to several hundred of the Sudanese that illegally entered ISRAEL via Egypt is being drafted, but specifics and language are still being determined. Halperin assured RRO that ISRAEL remains committed to its humanitarian obligations, but that the border must be closed "politically." She reported that a GOI study found that 717 illegal migrants had entered ISRAEL in July, and 920 had entered in June, and was adamant that ISRAEL must not become a magnet by "allowing waves of unlimited entry." ¶3. (C) Halperin asked for further details on the technical support and potential U.S. resettlement offers relayed in Reftel A. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** JONES