Israel delays deportation of foreign workers' children: report

English.news.cn 2011-03-10

JERUSALEM, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Interior Minister Eli Yishai on Wednesday announced that a plan to deport the children of foreign workers illegally residing in the country would be postponed, local daily Ha'aretz reported.

Yishai explained the decision was motivated by not wanting to interrupt the children, many of whom are enrolled in state-run kindergartens and schools, in the middle of the school year.

"I've instructed the enforcement (of the decision) regarding families with children learning in Israeli schools to be postponed by a number of months," Ha'aretz quoted Yishai as saying, "at this point, the focus will be only on families with children who do not fall under the conditions set by the government decision."

The Israeli cabinet late last year adopted a decision, initiated and led by Yishai, to gradually deport some 400 children, many of whom were born in Israel, to their parents' home countries. In media interviews, Yishai repeatedly defended the decision, saying that the growing number of illegal migrants threatens the continued existence of Israel's predominantly Jewish character.

The controversial decision made national headlines for several weeks, followed by mass demonstrations led by local human rights groups and organizations that advocate the right of illegal labor migrants and their children, mostly of African descent, to reside in the country.

Leading Israeli artists, authors and public figures have also attempted to convince Yishai to backtrack on his decision. Members of several kibbutzim even went as far as vowing to hide the children in their communities from Immigration Authority inspectors.

On Friday, several hundred activists took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest the deportation, which was slated to commence this week, said the Ha'aretz report.

Editor: yan

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