Siblings Who Fled Congo as Toddlers Face Deportation from Israel
Two adult siblings, who arrived in Israel from the Democratic Republic of Congo as young children and have lived there ever since, have been ordered to leave the country within seven days. Michel, 22, and her brother Jonathan, 24, received the deportation notices earlier this month, just days after attending interviews with the Population and Immigration Authority regarding their immigration status. The siblings have lived in Israel since they were three and five years old, attending Israeli schools, participating in youth movements, and completing their matriculation exams. However, they have only held temporary visas, requiring frequent renewal, which have prevented them from enlisting in the army, obtaining driver's licenses, or pursuing higher education. They are also unable to travel abroad, as they would not be permitted to return.
Their parents fled Congo nearly 20 years ago due to political persecution after their father supported a losing party in an election. For years, Israel granted group protection against deportation to around 400 Congolese refugees. However, in 2022, this group protection was canceled, with the Authority stating the situation in Congo had improved and individual asylum claims would be reviewed. The parents applied for individual refugee status, but their application has not yet been processed. The siblings, born in Congo but raised in Israel, are now in a difficult position as adults, no longer covered by their parents' temporary status.
Michel and Jonathan were interviewed separately about their parents' flight from Congo. As they were too young to recall the circumstances, their requests for refugee status were subsequently denied. Their lawyer, Yossi Carmeli, argues that the Authority's decision is extreme and unreasonable, especially since the parents' asylum claim has not been rejected, suggesting there may be grounds for their stay. He points out the irony that the parents might soon receive refugee status while their adult children face deportation. The siblings do not speak French, the official language of Congo, nor local dialects, and have no family there other than their immediate parents and younger siblings who remain in Israel. The country is also currently experiencing a deadly Ebola outbreak.
The siblings have appealed the deportation orders, and a court has ruled that they will not be deported until a final decision is made on their case. The Authority stated that the asylum requests were examined individually and no grounds were found to grant refugee status.
