April 30, 2020
Max J. Rosenthal, HIAS.org
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, asylum seekers in Israel were already leading precarious lives. The Israeli government refused to acknowledge their legal claims, and many struggled to earn enough to support their families. Now, with the country on lockdown and jobs drying up, it’s harder than ever for asylum seekers to stay afloat.
“Most are just voicing real anxiety of, ‘My money is quickly running out, the landlord is asking me for rent. Very soon I’m afraid I’m gonna find myself and my kids on the street,’” says Sivan Carmel, HIAS’ country director in Israel. In this video, she discusses what her clients are going through amid the coronavirus outbreak and how Israel’s lockdown is affecting her own ability to help.
You can follow all of the latest news about HIAS’ work during the coronavirus on our COVID-19 response page.
Originally published at https://www.hias.org.
