Israel Reaches Deal to Scrap African Migrant Deportation Plan, Will Send Them to The West

Western nations will host thousands of asylum seekers currently residing in Israel under a new deal that has just been reached with the UN Refugee Agency. Around half of the 39,000 migrants will remain in Israel.

Speaking about the deal on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Canada, Italy and Germany would host at least 16,250 migrants. The agreement nullifies Israel's original plan to forcibly deport the migrants to Africa, which was set to come into effect on Sunday.

The agreement "will allow for a larger number of immigrants to leave Israel than the previous plan, and [this will be done] under the auspices of the UN and the international community,” according to a statement released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

According to the statement, the agreement will be carried out in three stages over five years, at the end of which "the reality of life in south Tel Aviv and the surrounding neighborhoods will significantly improve."