Ivory Coast citizens illegally residing in Israel will have two weeks to leave Israel, whether voluntarily or by force, Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai announced Thursday.

Yishai instructed the Population, Immigration and Borders Authority (PIBA) to start proceedings towards the deportation of the 3,000 Ivory Coast citizens currently in Israel.

"Whoever leaves in two weeks' time will get a bonus (500 U.S. dollars per adult and 100 dollars per child), and those who don't will be expelled," the minister said in statement, adding that uncooperative migrants are facing jail and expulsion -- minus the grant.

On Sunday, the Jerusalem District Court denied a petition by 133 Ivory Coast citizens who motioned against their deportation. They appealed against suspending the United Nations' "collective protection" statues, which enables their deportation.

The announcement of the upcoming deportation comes after the expulsion of nearly 300 South Sudanese refugees, who were flown to Juba aboard two flights in the past two weeks. More deportation flights are expected in the weeks to come.

According to international treaties, refugees from war-stricken regions are entitled to "collective protection," which allows them to seek refuge in any country. However, Israeli officials decided that the situation in South Sudan and Ivory Coast was safe enough and that the protective status could be rescinded.

Attorney Tal Sahar, who represents the migrants, told Xinhua on Thursday that, although the situation in Ivory Coast has improved, "it's still not a country to which you can just send people, women and children."

Sahar said that "There are still wars and violent acts carried out there. I expect the State of Israel to fully examine the security situation there before making such a decision that will affect the lives of so many people."

Ivorian Jali Caldano, who has been living in Israel for four years, said that, "I didn't come to Israel to make money; I came to save my life," adding that he does not mind going back to his country -- as long as it is safe.

"I never meant to stay here for the rest of my life," he said.

"I planned to go back as soon as things would improve there. But it's still not safe and I am scared. I have two young children, how can I make sure that they are protected from the violence around? I still don't know how to tell them we are leaving. I hope everything would work out for the best," he said.