Leave now or face jail, Israel warns African migrants

Israel on Sunday began warning thousands of African migrants that they must leave by the end of March or face jail if they refuse.

On January 3, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced implementation of a plan to deport about 38,000 migrants who had entered the country illegally, mainly Eritreans and Sudanese.

The controversial plan gives them until the end of next month to leave voluntarily or face jail and eventual expulsion.

Immigration authority spokeswoman Sabine Haddad said that officials began issuing migrants letters on Sunday advising them that they had 60 days in which to leave the country voluntarily.

For now, the notices are being given only to men without families, officials said.