Israel has reportedly cancelled plans to deport migrants en masse to Africa after reaching a deal with the United Nations refugee agency.
More than 16,000 asylum seekers will instead be resettled in Western countries, including Canada, Italy and Germany, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. About 16,000 others will be given permanent residency in Israel, he said. Israel’s Supreme Court had blocked deportations meant to begin on Sunday. The plan to send the migrants to African countries – reported to be Uganda and Rwanda – was condemned by Israeli activists and sparked protests.
The new plan will be implemented over a five-year period. Mr Netanyahu’s office described the agreement as “unprecedented”. “These understandings will allow the removal of more migrants from Israel than in the previous plan, and under UN and the international community’s auspices,” a statement said. Canada, Italy and Germany are yet to officially confirm their participation in the agreement.
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