The VOICE Refugee Forum Network
Activists of The VOICE Refugee Forum, The Plataforma for Refugees and Migrants and The Caravan for the rights of Refugees and Migrants (Germany): Mbolo M.Yufanyi and Mai Zeidani Yufanyi together with some African activists in Israel/Palestine attended a Picket at the Apartheid "Open" Prison in Holot in the Negev desert (South of Israel).
This prison lies middle in the desert and hosts more than 3000 African men. Under a new apartheid law in Israel (new amendment to the Prevention of Infiltration Law, January 29, 2014), African asylum seekers can be held in the open prison until they can be deported or leave themselves, which for most Africans held there that we interviewed (the majority Eritrean and Sudanese nationals), mean open-ended. If they travel out of the prison and are caught by the police, they will be sent to the closed Saharonim prison not far from the so called open one. Both prisons are located in the southern Negev desert, close to the Israeli-Egyptian border. The region is known for its harsh living conditions in summer as in winter. Around three hundred people took part in the protest, absolute majority of them refugees.
The refugees have neither adequate clothing nor food. No means of transportation or necessary emergency procedures in case of acute health or other dangers.
Watch to the speech of solidarity by The VOICE activist, Mbolo M. Yufanyi.