Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Hagar and Miriam

The Hagar and Miriam program is an innovative support center for pregnant women and new mothers from the asylum seeking and refugee community in Israel. This innovative program was initiated in 2007 to aid and support asylum-seeking women in Israel by providing care during and after pregnancy. The program aims to provide women with greater control over their futures and lives, and to help them advance from a state of dependence to interdependence. Since 2000, refugees from Africa have been seeking asylum in Israel. According to the Ministry of Interior statistics, there are approx 54,000 asylum seekers in Israel today (June 2013). The asylum seekers come from Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Congo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and other countries. Nearly 15% of this population consists of women, mainly between the ages of 15-35.  Many are single women on their own, others are pregnant, and some become pregnant while in Israel. On their way to Israel, these women are exposed to exploitation and abuse by the smugglers. Once they arrive in Israel, they have no official nationality or status. They suffer culture shock and lack of communication, as they do not speak Hebrew, and encounter many problems in adjusting to the Israeli culture. ...

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