Israeli military recruiting Africans seeking asylum to fight in Gaza
- In Reports
- 05:43 PM, Sep 18, 2024
- Myind Staff
The government is enlisting African asylum seekers to fight in Gaza, according to reports in Israeli media on Sunday. In exchange, the government promised these individuals permanent residency in Israel. The recruitment is being conducted "with legal guidance from defence establishment advisers," according to military sources who spoke with Israel's Haaretz news outlet. However, the recruits' intended use has not been disclosed.
As of 2020, there were some 30,000 asylum-seekers from Sudan and Eritrea in Israel, but less than 1 percent of asylum claims are approved.
The UN's 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as one whom the host country or international body has recognised as unable to return home out of fear of persecution. An asylum seeker is a person still waiting for that recognition. Many of the people, according to Abbo, "have their requests not denied, but instead have them pending for five, ten, or more years, leaving them in legal limbo."
In response to the attacks on October 7 in which over 1,100 people, among them three asylum seekers, were killed, Israel experienced a wave of volunteerism. Asylum seekers with interests in finding ways to raise their legal status provided services as volunteers in command centres and agriculture. Military officials saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of their assistance, according to Haaretz. The following account of Sri Lankan asylum seeker "A" was sent to Haaretz: He reached Israel at the age of 16. He joined the Israel Defence Force (IDF) and put on the uniform. He was called at the start of the war by a man posing as a police officer, who instructed him to report straight to a security facility.
"They told me they were looking for special people to join the army. They told me this was a life-or-death war for Israel," he told Haaretz. Following multiple meetings with representatives, A was told that if he signed up, he would receive documents from the state of Israel and participate in a two-week training program with other asylum seekers. But in the end, he decided that life in the military was not for him, and he left the program before training even started.
The lack of transparency in this process worries the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants. Although some individuals discuss the advantages of serving in the military, the organisation was unable to locate any verified instances where these claims had been met. In addition, the recruitment process has drawn criticism for establishing a "quid pro quo " dynamic; asylum decisions ought to be made based on merit rather than an individual's willingness to serve in the military.
“Asylum status is granted due to persecution, not as part of a deal,” as said by Julia Grignon, professor of international humanitarian law and research director at the Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM). He further added, “Enlisting in the military should never be a condition for obtaining refugee status.”
Israel is allegedly taking advantage of weak people who have fled their countries in search of safety, according to some, “The little information we have is alarming,” Abbo said. “Rights should come before obligations. It’s dangerous to recruit individuals without rights and expect them to risk their lives based on vague promises.”
The Israeli defence establishment insists that what it does is legal. The reports coincide with an Israeli soldier shortage as the nation's war against Hamas approaches its one-year anniversary. June saw a decision by Israel's Supreme Court requiring ultra-Orthodox Jews, who had previously been exempt from conscription, to report for duty.
It is still unclear whether these people will ever see the promises made to them fulfilled and what kind of recourse they may have if they are not, as long as the conflict persists. Grignon conceded that they don't have many options. “A UN body may call out Israel’s violation of international law, but that’s about it,” she said.
Image source: Middle East Monitor
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