Indian family to be deported from Israel amid crackdown on illegal migrant workers
Jerusalem: Four members of an Indian family, including two children, detained in Israel for staying illegally are likely to be deported soon after the completion of formalities, officials here said amidst a crackdown on illegal migrant workers.
Indian couple with two minor children were on Thursday arrested by Israel's immigration authority, according to a media report.
Inspectors of the country's Population and Immigration Authority broke into the home of Tina and Minin Lopez and arrested them along with their children- seven-year-old daughter Eliana and a one-year-old toddler, Ha'aretz Online reported.
The family from Karnataka was taken to the Beit Dagan detention facility in central Israel. They were released last night and are likely to be deported soon after the related formalities are completed, authorities said.
The couple reportedly came to Israel from India to work as nurses 12 years ago. Eliana, who is a second-grader in a school in Tel Aviv, and her one-year-old sibling were both born in Israel.
The family, except the younger child, had visited the Indian embassy in February 2018 for late birth registration of their elder child but did not complete the formalities.
Attorney David Tadmor, who represents the family, said, "the Immigration Authority, instead of adhering to instructions by the courts, continues its bullying actions."
"This is a scandal. The Immigration Authority has not begun implementing the instructions of the Justice Ministry and the appellate court. It isn't authorized at all to arrest children, and isn't allowed to put out arrest warrants. We will contact the Attorney General and demand that he immediately rein in the authority," Tadmor was quoted as saying in the report.
The arrest comes amidst a crackdown on illegal migrant workers throughout Israel. The Immigration Authority came under fire in recent weeks for arresting two Filipino children who were born in Israel while they were preparing to go to school.
Gena Antigo, 13, and Ralph Harel, 10, were released earlier this week on a USD 8,510 bail each after an appeals court ruled that their arrests and the decision to deport them and their mothers were wrong, the news report said.
The court ruling is said to be also based on the fact that the Immigration Authority had violated a new Justice Ministry regulation, which determines that minors under the age of 12 should receive a hearing before a decision is made to deport them.
A large number of students, teachers and parents demonstrated outside the Givon Prison against the detention of Antigo and Harel.
As the new school year began, the director general of the Immigration Authority, Shlomo Mor Yosef, promised that children of migrants would not be stopped during the school day, on their way to school or on their way home.
However, the Authority said the arrests of the Indian children do not violate this promise, as it does not apply to the time frame prior to leaving for school, the report said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
