Israel to deport African migrants

Migrants in Israel who have been forced to select for 'voluntary deportation' are to have 30 days to prepare to leave, while those who refuse may face imprisonment, according to a government statement.

Israel has announced an agreement with two African countries to take in African migrants who would "voluntarily return," local media has reported.

The J-Post and Haaretz reported on Thursday that Israel's Population, Immigration and Borders Authority, PIBA, had released a statement two days earlier saying African migrants in Israel could "voluntarily return" to Rwanda or Uganda, which had also agreed not to deport the migrants to their home countries.

PIBA's statement said the process prepared by Interior Minister Gilad Erdan was "to expand the voluntary return of" the migrants.