Court rejects petition urging gov't to improve African refugees' conditions

By DAN IZENBERG
The High Court of Justice on Wednesday rejected a petition calling on the government to improve the physical conditions for children in the detention camp for Africans who crossed the border into Israel illegally. There are an estimated 100 children in two-tent "wards" in the detention camp, including 20 babies. The petitioners complained that the tents were freezing and that the children did not receive proper education or psychological help. The court, however, said the state had faced problems on a scale never experienced before and "had taken action after a short period of organization." "We have the impression that it will continue to seek solutions to the problems that have arisen," continued the court. Originally, the petitioners called for the closure of the wards and said the children should not be detained in the camps. However, the court refused to consider that part of the petition.