Israel cuts number of Ethiopian immigrants citing overpopulated absorption centers

A family of immigrants from Ethiopia in Mevasseret Zion, outside Jerusalem, this week. Photo by: Michal Fattal

By Revital Blumenfeld, Haaretz

Although the cabinet decided a year ago to bring the last of the Falashmura from Ethiopia to Israel at a rate of 200 a month, an interministerial committee with responsibility for the operation has decided to reduce the rate to 110 a month.

There are currently more than 4,500 Falashmura – descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity – who have registered to immigrate to Israel and are waiting in a refugee camp in Ethiopia’s Gondar province. According to a report by a parliamentary delegation from Israel that visited the camp in September, conditions for the prospective immigrants are harsh.

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Posted by Ethiopian on November 10, 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry