© Amnesty International Israel 2016, Source UNHCR 2014 Statistical Yearbook
The situation for Sudanese refugees in Israel is tough – so far, the Israeli government has only recognized one Sudanese asylum seeker as a refugee. In 2016, Mutasim Ali from Darfur was granted refugee status. This was a great achievement and a cause for celebration, however thousands of other requests for refugee status from Sudanese asylum seekers have been either rejected or simply not answered.
Living without status means that the Sudanese population of Israel is living without rights – they are often exploited by employers and only have access to healthcare in urgent cases. Many asylum seekers suffer both psychologically and physically from trauma, following the genocide and wars in Sudan, and human trafficking and torture during the dangerous journey to Israel. The state does not support these victims of serious trauma.
Tama Stone 