Sudanese asylum seeker assaults, bites immigration officials after delay

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
A Sudanese asylum seeker was arrested in Lod on Sunday after physically assaulting and biting employees of the Population and Immigration Authority. The Interior Ministry said employees of the Refugee Unit of the Authority came under attack when the Sudanese man was told he could not be served currently due to a technical problem. "The man refused to accept the explanation... he responded with severe violence, assaulting and biting employees, pushing people, and cursing the State of Israel and the Jewish people," the Interior Ministry added. The man will be brought before a Ramle Magistrate's Court on Monday for a custody hearing, Shfela Police told The Jerusalem Post. "This is the second incident of this nature in recent days," the Interior Ministry said in a statement. It added that immigration officials are encountering growing violence by asylum seekers. "This is not an unusual incident. On Thursday, 16 asylum seekers protested a delay in their proceedings, and smashed windows, hit workers, and urinated on the building," said Yaakov Ganot, the head of the Immigration Authority.