Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ordered several government bodies to agree on a unified policy regarding African refugees and job seekers within three weeks.  More than 7,000 Africans have illegally entered Israel from Egypt in the past 14 months, and thousands more are expected to try to enter soon.

Interior Ministry official Yaakov Ganot said Tuesday that most of the refugees should be deported.  The flow of refugees must be stopped “or Israel will be overrun,” he warned.  Ganot pointed out that over 1,000 people illegally entered Israel from Egypt in February of 2008, as compared to 97 in February of 2007.

Six hundred of the estimated 7,400 illegal entrants in Israel have been granted official refugee status.  In addition, almost 2,000 entrants from Eritrea and 800 from elsewhere in Africa have been granted work permits, which will be renewed based on the situation in their countries of origin.