Cabinet approves detention center for illegal infiltrators

Facility will provide basic shelter, food and medical services for African migrants who cross Egyptian border.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Sudanese refugee family soldiers 311 AP (photo credit: Associated Press)
Sudanese refugee family soldiers 311 AP
(photo credit: Associated Press)
The government on Sunday approved a plan to construct a detention center in the South to house African migrants who illegally cross into Israel from Egypt.
The facility will provide basic shelter, food and medical services for the infiltrators until they leave the country.
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Earlier on Sunday Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gave his support for the facility. Speaking during the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said "for years, people have spoken about stopping the wave of illegal infiltrators who are entering the country.  There has been talk for years but now we are not talking."
The prime minister said "today, the cabinet will discuss one of the components of the plan for stopping the wave of illegal infiltrators into the country.  This growing wave threatens Israelis' jobs, is changing the character of the country and we must stop it."
"We do not intend to arrest refugees from war.  We allow them to enter and will continue to do so.  But we must stop the mass entry of illegal infiltrators who are looking for work due to the very harsh repercussions that this wave will have on the character and future of the State of Israel.," Netanyahu said.
The prime minister highlighted that "this Government, unlike its predecessors, acts."
Netanyahu said that "the first thing that we have started to do is to erect a fence and a ground barrier along our south-western border.  This is happening right now.  At the same time, we will impose very heavy fines on those who employ illegal workers." 
During the meeting Interior Minister Eli Yishai announced that he opposed illegal immigrants being allowed to stay in the country, and spoke out against those that were trying to protect them.
"All the people that come and search for headlines need to know that in another ten years a government investigation committee will be established here to discuss how we lost the Jewish majority in Israel," Yishai said.
Yaakov Lappin contributed to this report.