African migrants expected to leave Israel this year were expecting to be given safe passage to Uganda and Rwanda according to some rights groups.
But the two countries on Friday denied ever having a deal in place to take in the migrants.
This week African migrants in Israel were told to leave the country or face jail term in a major crackdown on illegal migrants.
The Israeli government issued the notice which would affect thousands of African migrants who would be compensated to enable them travel back to their countries.
Each migrant is to be given up to $3,500 to leave to their home countries or are sent to Uganda or Rwanda.
All migrants who refuse to leave will be jailed by the government of Israel from April, the notice said.
Local media Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reports that people from Eritrea and Sudan make up a significant number of migrants in Israel.
Although Israel’s government has not mentioned where the refugees will go rights groups including Hotline for Refugees and Migrants have claimed that Uganda and Rwanda had agreed to take in migrants from Israel in the past and could do so.
Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe on Friday said “Rwanda has no deal whatsoever with Israel to host any African migrant from that country,”
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for Uganda, Okello Oryem, has also told Reuters that “There is no written agreement or any form of agreement between the government of Uganda and Israeli government to accept refugees from Israel,”
The Prime Minister of Israel Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that allowing African migrants into the country unchecked is a threat to Israel’s Jewish character.
Most of those affected by the notice have claimed to have fled to Israel seeking asylum from persecution and conflict.
The UN refugee agency has described the move by Israel as a violation of international and Israeli laws.
The order however exempts children, elderly people and victims of slavery and human trafficking.
Source: Africafeeds.com
