Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday disclosed the cancellation of the agreement it struck with the UN refugee agency on resettling thousands of African migrants.
Netanyahu, who announced the agreement in a televised address on Mondya, made the u-turn after facing mounting pressure from his right-wing base.
This about-turn opens the door for a return to the deportation stance which the government had before the agreement was struck.
In a Facebook post, the prime minister said: “After having heard numerous comments on the agreement, I have examined the pros and cons and have decided to cancel the agreement”.
Under the agreement with the UN, a minimum of 16,250 migrants would have been resettled in Western nations.
In return, Israel would grant temporary residency to one migrant for each one resettled elsewhere.
The deal with the UN agency was to have been implemented over a five-year period.
