about

The Negev Refugees Center (NRC) was founded in 2009 by four women students from Ben Gurion University of the Negev in response to the refugees arriving destitute in the south of Israel from Eritrea and Sudan. Today, the NRC is a thriving NGO working with and for over 1000 asylum seekers in Be’er Sheva and approximately 3000 more in other Negev cities.
Israel does not recognize asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan as refugees but considers them “Infiltrators”. Although international law prevents them from deportation, they are subject to many restrictions regarding domicile, social rights, health, and employment rights. NRC has set itself the task of championing this marginalized community – Join us for an insight into their lives and our joint activities.



Our vision

Guided by the belief that we, as citizens of Israel, a country founded by and for refugees, have a duty not only to aid those whose lives are endangered in their own country or fleeing from persecution but to empower them to rebuild their lives. We are an equal opportunity organization: fifty percent of our Board members are asylum seekers, who also play a leading role in our management team. Our staff of volunteers includes Jewish and Arab Israelis as well as asylum seekers.[y1]
The Negev Refugee Center works together with the asylum seeker community in Be’er Sheva and throughout the Negev to enable members of the community to lead productive and meaningful lives. We aim to support and strengthen community leadership and to encourage initiatives growing out of that community. Our organization helps provide tools for personal and general growth, working to create partnerships with other organizations and communities in Be’er Sheva and the Negev as a whole.