Israel expels 150 South Sudanese migrants

Israel is expelling an additional 150 South Sudanese as part of its campaign to reduce the number of African migrants who have slipped illegally into the Jewish state. Authorities are offering the migrants cash to leave voluntarily and threatening them with arrest if they don’t. Each adult migrants is being offered $1,300 and each child $500. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabine Haddad says the latest flight with the expelled migrants is to leave after midnight Monday. Some 60,000 Africans, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan, have slipped into Israel from Egypt since 2005. The influx has concerned officials and caused friction with Israeli locals. Most of the migrants fled repressive regimes and Israel cannot expel them. Earlier this month, authorities began rounding up migrants from South Sudan, which has friendly relations with Israel and can be expected to treat its returnees reasonably well. Many migrants have attempted to convert to Judaism to remain in the country. However, all requests from refugees and illegal migrants from Africa to convert to Judaism have been rejected over the past year, according to the prime minister’s office. The Jerusalem District Court has also denied a petition by 132 migrants from the Ivory Coast to retain the group immunity from deportation they had enjoyed until last December. The migrants are being expelled because they are seen as responsible for increased levels of crime and a threat to the states’ demographics.