Israel Declares Ukraine Safe, Removing Hurdle to Rejecting Citizens' Asylum Requests

Haaretz ^ | Inal Lior

[NorseViking]

Israel will now be able to reject Ukrainian citizens' asylum requests more rapidly because of new guidelines from the Population and Immigration Authority, which deem Ukraine a safe state.

The guidelines, which go into effect on Tuesday, come after a sharp rise in applications for asylum from Ukrainians; under the new rules, there will be no impediment to returning Ukrainian citizens back to their country.

The last two years have a seen a spike in the number of asylum requests by Ukrainians, who can enter Israel without a visa. Many are brought here by middlemen who promise them work and lodging and advise them to request asylum. Due to the heavy volume, these requests can take years to process and until they are denied, the seekers cannot be deported.

There are currently 20,000 Ukrainian citizens in Israel, 15,000 of whom have applied for asylum. Around 7,000 applications have been filed since the beginning of this year alone. The new guidelines will allow for a more speedy denial of these applications, with no need for a thorough review – the process will now take only a few weeks.

[littleharbour]

I wish they would ship them to Canada, but Trudeau only wants muslims or persons of colour. We have done nothing to help the Christians being slaughtered in the Mideast.