The Release Now! Sending Hope to Refugees in Detention campaign is dedicated to asylum seekers unjustly detained in Israel, most of whom have little prospect of being released in the near future. The campaign works towards the release of migrants, featuring profiles of detainees and offering a number of recommendations to the Israeli governments. Letters sent to detainees seek to support them throughout their experience, and may also be sent to Israeli Minister of Interior Gideon Sa’ar.

Most asylum seekers in Israel are from Sudan and Eritrea. They escaped war, civil conflict and forced labor in search of protection in another country. The journey for many was difficult, and some experienced torture and rape before arriving to the country. More than 1,900 men, women and children now find themselves in Israeli detention centers in the Negev desert under the “Prevention of Infiltration” law. This law allows for the automatic detention of anyone who crosses the border irregularly without trial or review for a minimum of three years. Those coming from an enemy state to Israel, including Sudan, can be detained indefinitely.

Please click here to submit a letter or learn more about the RightNow Coalition, an international coalition advocating for the rights of the African asylum seekers in Israel through awareness-raising, direct advocacy, and grassroots campaigns.