Israel’s Immigration Authority began rounding up African migrants on Sunday, with eight arrests reported in Eilat and central Israel.

The Jerusalem’s District Court ruled on Thursday that Israel could deport South Sudanese nationals back to their home county.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai said that this was a first of many steps and that a great deal of work is left until his vision of a migrant-free Israel is fulfilled.

The court decision on Thursday permitting the deportation of the South Sudanese nationals rejected an appeal by migrant worker NGOs against Yishai’s decision to halt Israel’s collective defense of citizens form the war-torn country.

Once the court ruling was handed down, the Immigration Authority announced that it will begin enforcing the law as it applied to the South Sudanese nationals and their employers.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

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