The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants is a human rights organization that utilizes direct service provision, litigation, and advocacy to uphold the rights of refugees, migrant workers, and survivors of human trafficking in Israel. In Hebrew, the organization is known as .
Founding
In 1998, Israeli journalist Einat Fishbain and her colleagues opened a voicemail hotline for migrant workers in Israeli immigration detention, and published articles about the situation of migrant workers in Ha'ir. Three women reached out to her, asking if they could help the migrant workers, and Ms. Fishbain introduced them to one another. These three women went on to found the Hotline for Migrant Workers, which later changed its name to the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants. The Hotline staff succeeded in gaining permission to enter immigration detention and today is the only non-governmental body with access to Israel's immigration detention centers.
Organizational Structure
The Hotline carries out its activities through three main departments:
The Hotline provides free consultation and paralegal representation. This service is offered in the Hotline's office at weekly reception, over the phone, and through visits to periphery cities and immigration detention. The Hotline's Crisis Intervention Center has released thousands of migrants and asylum seekers from detention over the years.
Legal Department
The Hotline's legal department litigates strategic cases with potential to affect policies and practices for the entire community.
The Hotline conducts research, media work, public events, and meetings with stakeholders and decision makers. Through this work, they engage in both local and international advocacy about migration policy and its implications, both for migrants and society as a whole.
Preventing the forced deportation of Sudanese and Eritrean asylum seekers to Uganda and Rwanda
Gaining refugee status for the first and only Darfuri refugee in Israel
The High Court's ruling on the 5th Anti-Infiltration Law limiting detention time in Holot to a maximum of 12 months
State-funded legal aid to victims of trafficking and unaccompanied minors
Spearheading significant changes to Israel's trafficking laws, culminating in the passing of the Fight Against Human Trafficking Act, which banned all forms of human trafficking
Granting of legal status to hundreds of children of migrant workers
Precedent-setting legal case against employment arrangements that bind workers to their employers
