Justice minister mulls jailing migrants for 5 years

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked is considering implementing a clause in the so-called Infiltrators Law that allows jailing of illegal migrants for up to five years, in an effort to deter migrants from trying to remain in the country.

Shaked is trying to find ways to curb the number of African migrants in Israel after yesterday the High Court of Justice struck down a key clause of the law, reducing the amount of time migrants can be held in detention facilities from the current 20 months to one year.

Justice Ministry officials say that thus far, the government had avoided enforcing the clause against tens of thousands of migrants and chosen to send them instead to detention facilities in the south of the country.

But now, officials say, in light of the High Court ruling and amid fear that a new wave of migrants will arrive, the minister has decided to consider implementing the clause, which allows the imprisonment of migrants who have recently arrived in the country for up to five years.