The United Nations' refugee agency on Tuesday urged Israel to find a solution for its African migrant issue, saying Israel should put a halt to plans aiming to send tens of thousands of migrants back to Africa forcibly.

WILLIAM SPINDLER, SPOKESMAN UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (done) UNHCR is seriously concerned over Israel's plans announced on January 1st to forcibly relocate Eritreans and Sudanese to countries in Africa, or have them face indefinite detention. Official statements that the plans may eventually target families and those with pending asylum claims, or that asylum seekers might be taken to the airport in handcuffs, are particularly alarming.

The Israeli government has ordered thousands of African asylum seekers to leave the country within 90 days or face imprisonment. Most of the people ordered out of the country are from Eritrea and Sudan. Israeli authorities are offering 3 thousand 5 hundred US dollars for refugees to go to Rwanda and Uganda for resettlement. The UN suggests some of the refugees could be resettled in Europe or other countries, because there's a lack of support upon resettlement in Africa amid safety concerns.