Interior minister to deport caregiver who tied elderly woman to fence
Deri expresses 'shock' at images of wheelchair-bound woman left outside mall while her Filipina aide shopped
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has vowed to deport a foreign caregiver who tied up an elderly woman in her wheelchair to a fence outside a Ramat Gan mall while she shopped inside.
An image of the elderly woman taken by a concerned passerby Wednesday afternoon circulated on social media and sparked outrage and allegations of abuse.
Dikla Amram Cohen told the Yedioth Ahronoth daily that after realizing the elderly woman was tied up outside for at least 40 minutes in 32° heat (nearly 100° F) heat, she went inside a store and began asking shoppers who was responsible for the woman.
She eventually found the caregiver, a Filipina woman, who Amram Cohen said apologized before leaving in a hurry.
The photos were also seen by Interior Ministry officials, including Deri, who told Yedioth he was “shocked” to see the woman tied to the fence.
“This is inhumane and disgraceful behavior,” Deri said, adding that he had instructed the Population, Immigration and Border Authority to locate the caregiver, revoke her Israeli work permit and deport her.
Filipinos constitute one of the largest groups of immigrant workers in Israel. Approximately 300,000 Filipinos currently reside and work in Israel, the vast majority of them employed as caregivers to the elderly.