At least 100 infiltrators are making their way to Jerusalem for another protest march Tuesday, this time in front of the main government complex.
On Monday, over 250 inmates marched to the Holy City in protest of new laws cracking down on illegal immigration, carrying signs and protesting alleged human rights violations. Instead of going back to the detainment facility they left illegally, they are now being joined by even more infiltrators.
Six buses, apparentlly hired by leftist groups, are currently transporting the new batch of illegal immigrants to Jerusalem. They are accompanied by dozens of police cars. Thus far, immigration inspectors have not arrested any of the infiltrators who marched to Jerusalem, although they broke the law when they left the facility earlier this week.
Legislation earlier this month mandated that illegal migrants can be detained for up to a year without trial.
Detainees are held at special facilities, given basic needs and even benefits like healthcare and education, and allowed to leave the facility during the day as long as they report daily to special stations, according to the program.
That is not enough, however, for the immigrants, whose cause has been championed by leftist "human rights" groups.
Director General of the Immigration Authority Amnon Ben-Ami expressed regret that humanitarian organizations have stepped in to help the infiltrators violate Israeli law. The organizations' actions affect global perception of Israel, making the arrests of illegal infiltrators seem like needless persecution, and portraying the Jewish state as a violator of human rights.
Michal Rosin MK (Meretz) joined the protest Tuesday. "I'm standing here beside people who shout and raise their voice against the injustice done to them," she stated to the press, "and this is how democracy is tested. Unfortunately, the reason we are here today is a law that indicates just the opposite, and prevents asylum seekers in Israel from having basic human rights and human dignity."
"People live here with no future, no hope and no release date. This is not a solution for us and not a solution for them," she claimed.
Supporters of the law point out how vital preventing illegal immigration is to Israel's security, especially near Israel's South and in major urban centers. Residents of working-class neighborhoods in southern Tel Aviv, as well as those of other cities like Eilat, say they have been suffering from endless harassment, fear and violence perpetrated by the many illegal Eritrean and Sudanese infiltrators who enter Israel to find employment and come to live in their neighborhoods. Many Jewish residents say they are terrified of leaving their homes and have begged the government to take action.
MK Miri Regev (Likud) stated, “Residents of southern Tel Aviv and Eilat also have human rights," and echoed concerns about Israeli security made by Likud minister Gidon Saar. Crime has skyrocketed in those areas since 2011.
The bill faced considerable controversy in the Knesset, with leftist MKs and activist groups claiming the law was a violation of human rights.