Pictured Above: Eritrean migrants protest in front of the E.U. embassy in Ramat Gan, Israel, calling for the European Union to try the Eritrean leadership for crimes against humanity, on June 21, 2016. Credit: Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.

(April 2, 2018 / JNS) The Israeli government has announced an unprecedented deal with the United Nations to allow for the resettlement of African asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants in Western countries, while giving permanent residency to others.

As part of the understanding, the U.N. High Commission will ink deals with various Western countries to accept at least 16,250 of the Sudanese and Eritrean illegal immigrants currently residing in Israel, with another 18,000 being allowed to remain in the state.

According to a report by the Population and Immigration Authority, some 34,187 Sudanese and Eritrean nationals are illegally in Israel, some of whom are seeking political asylum.

“The plan is divided into three stages and is spread over five years, at the end of which the reality of life in south Tel Aviv and the neighborhoods will significantly improve,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. “The agreement was approved by the Attorney General, and is consistent with international law and accepted practice.”

The new plan comes following outcry over a previous plan that had been due to go into effect on Sunday, which would have seen Israel expel migrants to unnamed African countries—believed to be Rwanda and Uganda. That earlier policy, which offered each migrant $3,500 and a plane ticket, was widely condemned by activists and the United Nations, and had been delayed by a Supreme Court ruling.

Additionally, the new deal will invest the Israeli government in improving assistance to migrants who remain regarding occupational guidance, vocational training and resettlement throughout the Jewish state. The Prime Minister’s Office also said it will also form a special committee to improve the quality of life in south Tel Aviv, where many of the African migrants had lived.

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