Sinai Perils

Risks to Migrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers in Egypt and Israel

I. Summary

Methodology

II. Recommendations

III. Background: Egypt's and Israel's Refugee and Asylum Seeker Populations

International Legal Obligations Toward Refugees

IV. Reasons for the Journey

Sudanese Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Security problems in Egypt

Lack of durable solutions

Horn of Africa Refugees and Asylum seekers

V. Egypt's Lethal Border Control Policy in Sinai, and Israeli Pressure for Border Control and Returns

June 2007: Policies Toughen

Egypt's Efforts to Justify Lethal Force at the Border

Egypt in breach of international standards on use of force

Families terrorized and separated at the border

Little evidence of deterrent effect

The Situation for the Wounded Who Reach Israel

Israel's "Coordinated Immediate Returns"

"Hot returns" by Israel

"Coordinated immediate returns" policy

VI. Egyptian Treatment of Those Detained

Use of Military Tribunals to Try Civilians

Separation of families

Denial of Access to Asylum Procedures

Conditions of Detention

Inadequate medical care

Conditions for women detained with their children pretrial

Detention of unaccompanied children with adults

VII. Treatment of Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Migrants in Israel

Israel's Refugee Status Determination Process

Detention as default for illegal entrants at the Sinai border

The Entry into Israel law and individual status determination

Detention not a last resort

Prima facie asylum determination and temporary protection for some groups

Indefinite Detention Struck Down in 2007, Back in Prospect in 2008..

2007 Challenge to the Prevention of Infiltration Law..

Proposed Legislation Reinstating Indefinite Detention

Arrests of Asylum Seekers

Acknowledgments

Appendix: Fatalities