Israeli authorities have commenced the arrest and detention of Ethiopian asylum seekers, with formal deportations scheduled to begin next month following a January 2024 government directive. The Population and Immigration Authority will execute this policy starting April 17, acting upon a Supreme Court decision that endorsed the state’s position despite petitions from human rights organizations.
Approximately 8,000 Ethiopian nationals face deportation, including about 1,000 from the conflict-ravaged Tigray region. Gilad Palombo of Assaf, an Israeli refugee aid organization, confirmed that immigration authorities have already begun arresting individuals classified as ‘infiltrators’—a legal designation for those entering Israel illegally.
The planned deportations occur against a backdrop of ongoing instability in Ethiopia. Although the Tigray conflict officially concluded with a 2022 peace agreement, sporadic fighting persists across multiple regions including Amhara, Oromia, and Benishangul-Gumuz. The UN estimates over 3.3 million people remain internally displaced within Ethiopia, with Human Rights Watch documenting severe humanitarian crises affecting civilians.
Ethiopian-Israeli writer Bazi Gete warned that returning asylum seekers would face ‘acute danger’ in what he described as ‘a kind of no man’s land,’ with some potentially facing life-threatening situations or detention. Both Gete and Palombo emphasized the particular risks for women and children in Tigray, where economic distress and famine conditions prevail.
This development reflects Israel’s broader policy approach toward asylum seekers. According to Assaf, only 50,000 of Israel’s 72,000 legal asylum seekers enjoy ‘protected group’ status, primarily from Eritrea, Sudan, and Ukraine. The remaining 22,000—including the Ethiopian cohort—lack official recognition and face severe legal and economic restrictions, with 57% living in poverty and 85% experiencing food insecurity.
Palombo characterized Israel’s long-standing policy as intentionally making life ‘unbearable for asylum seekers’ to encourage voluntary departure. This approach previously manifested in a controversial agreement with Rwanda (2013-2018) that saw Israel pay $5,000 per person for accepting deportees.
The Knesset has recently approved two laws targeting asylum seekers, reflecting what Gete describes as systemic propaganda portraying African refugees ‘as the source of all problems’ while denying them dignified existence in Israel.