The Israel Prison Service will begin operating the new open detention facility for African migrants in the Negev on Thursday. The IPS reported Thursday morning that they began moving 480 migrants currently held in nearby Saharonim prison to the facility.
The IPS said the list of which migrants to move was compiled by the Interior Ministry, who gave them the list of names.
The move follows the passing by the Knesset of an amendment to the anti-Infiltration law on Tuesday, which allows the state to hold people who illegally entered Israel to one year in the facility, which will be open in the day time and closed at night.
The new Entry to Israel Bill comes after the Supreme Court canceled its previous version in September, saying it was disproportionate. The legislation reduces the maximum amount of time a migrant can be kept in a closed detention facility, splitting the detainees into two categories.
Whereas before all migrants could be held in closed detention for three years pending a determination of their refugee status, now the default will be for migrants to be held in an open detention facility indefinitely.
Only certain migrants, such as those suspected of breaking a law or the rules of the open facility, can be held in closed detention and for a maximum of only one year.
Currently the facility has room for a maximum of 1,000 people and in the coming months will be expanded to house 3,300.
On Wednesday night, the Population, Immigration, and Borders Authority said the detention facility will go into operation on December 12th, and that with its opening they will also begin an increase in enforcement against Israelis illegally employing African migrants.
They said the enforcement will include not only fines but indictments for those found illegally employing African migrants.
In late November, the cabinet approved a plan to deal with illegal migration to Israel which is expected to cost as much as NIS 440 million. The plan includes what the government says are greater incentives for migrants to leave Israel, including upping the “voluntary return” stipend from $1,500 to $3,500.
It will also require the creation of 550 government positions to handle the migrant issue, to be taken from the Public Security Ministry, the Population, Immigration and Border Authority, and the Economy and Trade Ministry.
The proposal also includes NIS 73 million for what the government said are programs to improve personal security of residents in areas with a high concentration of migrants, including hiring and deploying higher numbers of police.
At the time of the cabinet vote, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said “we are determined to deport the tens of thousands of illegal migrants who are here after having reduced to zero the number of illegal labor migrants who enter Israel’s cities. The steps that we unanimously approved today are proportionate and necessary for maintaining the Jewish and democratic character of the state and will restore security to Israel’s citizens while upholding the directives of the High Court of Justice and international law.”