Amarah S, 45, is a former colonel with the Armed Forces of Liberia who fled his country to Israel.

In 2007, members of the small Liberian community in Tel Aviv appealed to the Israeli government to allow them to extend their stay in Israel. The appeal came few months after the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) representative in Israel wrote to all Liberian refugees directing them to return to Liberia by 31 March 2007.

These letters followed the UNHCR declaration in Geneva describing Liberia as a safe country. As the deadline grew nearer, the refugees became more desperate.

Ayouba Kenneh, who fled Liberia 17 years ago, is the leader of the Liberian refugees in Israel. He said: “I watched the [anti-government] rebels murder my father and aunt. My three sisters were raped and than murdered while I watched helplessly from my hiding place in the garbage heap. These rebels were our neighbors but from a different tribe.”

Ayouba is from the Mandingo ethnic group. He said at the time that he escaped at night through the bush with other members of his tribe. “It took us three weeks to reach the Ivory Coast border. There was a pregnant woman with us who gave birth during our flight but the baby died and later on the mother died too from lack of medical treatment.”

Again, the same fate has befallen the community in Israel with news reports that they would be deported come the first week of June 2008.

In a letter circulated via mass email by Moses Bility, alias "CoolJayone”, the Liberians are calling on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to intervene on their behalf to have the Israeli authorities extend their stay.

In the letter signed by Ayouba Kenneh, the refugees appealed to President Sirleag to “swiftly and urgently intervene to stop the deportation of Liberians residing in the State of Israel including children who were born here and are schooling in the state of Israel and the Liberians that are still in prison.”

The refugee head said deportation of all Liberians residing in the State of Israel is expected to start on the first of June 2008. “Our future is uncertain along with our children possible imprisonment, if extreme, urgent, major intervention is not taken by the Liberian Government.”

“Our situation is terrible, contemptible and confused at this present time; therefore, we are appealing to your honor to kindly appeal to the president of the Republic of Liberia, her Excellency Madam ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF to urgently intervene to avert our community from this serious crisis.”

“We are very much confident that her Excellency will make an official request to her counterpart in State of Israel for an extension for a reasonable period of time and will amicably resolve this crisis as she has done and continue to do for the Liberian citizens worldwide.”

Liberian refugees have been living in Israel for the past 17 years. They have been awarded Temporary Protected Status, granted to foreign nationals whose homeland conditions are recognized by the UN as being temporarily unsafe or overly dangerous to return to.
The community has fewer than 90 members, 16 of whom are Israeli-born children. It is a close-knit community, sharing flats in one of Tel Aviv’s derelict neighborhoods. All of them do menial jobs such as cleaning, house-keeping and dishwashing for very low wages, reports say.

Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had appealed to governments worldwide to allow more time for Liberia to become stable before sending back Liberian refugees.

Lawyer Ari Syrkuin, representing the Liberian community in their appeal to the government, believes Israel should consider the extension as a humanitarian act. “There are fewer than 90 Liberians in Israel today. They are all hard-working and law-abiding. Liberia is still in chaos, I hope the Minister of Interior will consider their plea favorably.”

Sharon Harel, from UNHCR in Israel, said “the decision is not in the hands of UNHCR. Only the [Israeli] Interior Ministry can decide to extend the Liberian refugees’ stay in Israel.”

Sabine Hadad, a spokesperson for the Israeli Interior Ministry, said the appeal was being reviewed by the ministry’s legal department in an effort to resolve the issue.

“We came here desperate and you gave us hope,” said Kenneh. “I appeal to the Israeli government and people to see us as human beings fleeing from war and extend our stay.”