"No one, for any reason whatsoever," says a message from a member of the Democratic Party, "must rely on people smugglers to attempt to reach the state of Israel. Many Eritrean and Ethiopian brothers are being kept chained up by traffickers; many of them have been murdered, and others have died from torture and deprivation.

Those who were released, after paying a ransom of $10,000, are now in jail, and will soon be handed back to the governments of their countries of origin. There is no hope of obtaining asylum in Israel.” Thanks to Eritrean patriots, migration to Israel has decreased considerably. In the meantime, the civil conflict underway in Egypt is making the conditions of the African immigrants in the hands of the traffickers much more difficult. Despite the silence of the local media on the situation of the Sinai, the reports coming from the governorate are worrying. The gangs that belong to the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda and Hamas control the major cities in the region: al-Arish, Rafah, al-Gorah, and Sheik Zuweid.

The networks Stratfor and Radio Hamas have broadcast statements in which the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas have boasted of their alliance and political identity, claiming the role of promoters of the revolt in Egypt and in the governorate of Northern Sinai. They also claim to have attacked the prison near the capital and freed the leaders of the two organizations who were detained there. Throughout Northern Sinai many police officers have removed their uniforms and passed over to the side of the rebels. It is unthinkable, in the present state of things, to hope that police operations can be organized to liberate the African refugees, who - on the contrary - risk being used in the illegal workforce (or prostitution racket, in the case of young women) or find themselves victims of the human organs market.