Israel’s foreign ministry recommended Thursday that the Interior Ministry extend the protection from deportation collectively afforded to refugees from South Sudan by an additional six months. On Sunday, April 1, the collective protection for the citizens of the new nation is set to expire. This would mean that any South Sudanese citizen that will not leave ion his or her own accord will be deported.

In addition to this recommendation by the foreign ministry, the Jerusalem District Court issued an injunction forbidding any deportation of South Sudanese nationals before April 15. The state has until that date to respond to a petition by aid organizations against the Interior Ministry’s decision not to extend the collective protection.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said that the recommendation to extend the collective protection for the South Sudanese for another six month is due to the fact that the conditions for their return haven’t yet matured – not on the part of Israel and not on the part of South Sudan.

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“The arrangements required for the return have yet to be completed and more time is required to coordinate the arrangements with the government of South Sudan,” the source said.

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