Israel's relocation of migrants within international law, Prime Minister says

JERUSALEM, April 4 (UPI) -- Responding to a newspaper’s claim that Israel is financing flights of migrants back to Uganda and Rwanda, the Prime Minister’s office said Friday that “all actions comport with international law.”

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz claimed the Israeli government is assisting in travel plans and paying for flights. The assertions came days after a High Court of Justice panel was told by the government that two unidentified countries agreed to take some migrants currently in Israel illegally.

Haaretz said it was informed by migrants that Israel paid for their trips and provided a one-time payment of $3,500, but offered no other assistance.

The comment from the Prime Minister’s office neither confirmed nor denied the newspaper report. No official estimate has been given for the number of migrants leaving Israel for Uganda or Rwanda, but the newspaper report suggests Israel has found a solution to remove a large number of migrants from its territory.

The Prime Minister’s Office added the government “is putting the brakes on the phenomenon of illegal infiltrators coming to Israel, and is determined to continue to return thousands of work-seeking infiltrators to their nations of origin.”

[Jerusalem Post]