The plight of Liberian refugees living in
Israel and who are slated for expulsion by
the end of the month may finally be
resolved, according to Likud MK Gilad Erdan.
"I've heard leaks and hints that the
interior minister [Roni Bar-On] will extend
their stay" past the March 31 deadline by
which the 90 Liberians will be told to leave
the country, Erdan told The Jerusalem
Post on Thursday. "I'm optimistic," he
added.
While Liberia has stabilized politically
following the November 2005 election of
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as president of the
war-torn country, the new president has
asked countries around the world to wait
before sending Liberians back to the
country.
It is feared that tensions among the
various tribes in the country in the wake of
a 14-year civil war that killed some 200,000
by its end three years ago will surge into
bloody conflict once again when large
numbers of refugees return to reclaim what
was theirs.
"Most of the Liberians in Israel are from
the Mandingo tribe," said the group's lawyer
Ari Syrquin, "and they know exactly who
killed their siblings or stole their
property. They were often neighbors from
different tribes. These people are waiting
for them, and might kill them if they
return."
On February 22, the Liberian foreign
minister sent a letter to the Israeli
Foreign Ministry asking to extend the
Liberians' stay in the country, but Israel
has so far ignored the request. In January,
Syrquin appealed to the interior minister to
take up the issue, but repeated requests
were ignored.
Now, however, an appeal to the Knesset
may have turned the tide. The Knesset
Interior Committee will meet Wednesday to
discuss the issue, and senior Interior
Ministry officials will attend, Erdan said.
"I'm not asking for citizenship or
permanent residency," added Syrquin, "just
for an extension of one year while the
situation in Liberia improves... If someone
is here for over 10 years, I think he has
some right to have his situation examined
carefully before he is sent away. There is
no need to rush to kick them out."
