Migrant deported by Israel back to Africa recounts ordeal
Yohannes Tesfagabr
Inside the immigration office in Tel Aviv   Yohannes Tesfagabr  considered  his  options.  He  could not return to Eritrea  a country  he  risked  his  life to flee in 2010.  He  hoped to avoid the fate of compatriots who languished in a desert jail for illegally staying in Israel.
Two weeks later  he  was on a flight to Uganda.
 Tesfagabr  said  his  group of Eritreans was not taken through the official immigration desk upon arrival in Uganda. They were ushered through the cargo area by a Ugandan official and driven to a hotel in the capital  Kampala. Their passports were confiscated. Hours later  the undocumented Eritreans were dismissed.
The five other Eritreans declined to talk to The Associated Press because of safety concerns. But  Tesfagabr  said  he  wanted to speak out because  he  felt  he  had been harshly treated by Israel  a country  he  had grown to love.
"My Hebrew is four times better than my English "  he  said one recent evening.
 Tesfagabr   a village boy who felt hopeless after being forcefully conscripted into Eritrea's army  arrived in Israel in 2012  the victim of alleged traffickers in Sudan who helped him cross a border point in the Sinai after his family was made to pay a $3 900 ransom. To force his parents to pay  his captors beat him and staged mock executions.
When two compatriots were jailed for overstaying their visas   Tesfagabr  knew  his  days were numbered.
Inside the immigration office in Tel Aviv   [TGT]considered  [TGT]  options.  [TGT]  could not return to Eritrea  a country  [TGT]  risked  [TGT]  life to flee in 2010.  [TGT]  hoped to avoid the fate of compatriots who languished in a desert jail for illegally staying in Israel.
Two weeks later  [TGT]  was on a flight to Uganda.
 [TGT]said  [TGT]  group of Eritreans was not taken through the official immigration desk upon arrival in Uganda. They were ushered through the cargo area by a Ugandan official and driven to a hotel in the capital  Kampala. Their passports were confiscated. Hours later  the undocumented Eritreans were dismissed.
The five other Eritreans declined to talk to The Associated Press because of safety concerns. But  [TGT]said  he  wanted to speak out because  he  felt  he  had been harshly treated by Israel  a country  he  had grown to love.
"My Hebrew is four times better than my English "  he  said one recent evening.
 Tesfagabr   a village boy who felt hopeless after being forcefully conscripted into Eritrea's army  arrived in Israel in 2012  the victim of alleged traffickers in Sudan who helped him cross a border point in the Sinai after his family was made to pay a $3 900 ransom. To force his parents to pay  his captors beat him and staged mock executions.
When two compatriots were jailed for overstaying their visas   Tesfagabr  knew  his  days were numbered.