ABC
by Diaa Hadid
June 24, 2013

Hundreds of African migrants are languishing in a desert detention center in southern Israel, where families may only meet once a week and where women and children sleep in a prison-like compound, according to lawmakers who caught a rare glimpse.

The visit to Sahronim center by a parliamentary delegation has allowed a look into the facility that plays a key role in Israel's attempt to stem the tide of thousands of African migrants who have crossed the long desert border with Egypt to the Jewish state in recent years.

"It's not a camp. It's a prison," said Michael Rozin, an opposition lawmaker with the dovish Meretz party. "You have guards. You are not free do what you want. These people are not criminals. Their crime is asking for a better life."

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http://abcnews.go.com/International/wire...26#.Ucg7jBz2u68