The Immigration and Absorption Ministry and the Jewish Agency foresee an almost twice the increase in the number of immigrants • Chairman of the Immigration and Absorption Committee Bitan demanded: Preparation plan for their absorption

• Welcome to French immigrants

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  Coco (Archive)

Representatives of the Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Immigration estimated Tuesday on the Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Committee that by the end of 2020, some 50,000 Jews will immigrate to Israel, almost twice as much as any previous year. 

Committee Chairman David Bitten (Likud) estimated that there would be an increase in the number of immigrants in the future, and required the agency to present an preparedness plan for their absorption, including the opening of additional absorption centers. 

Bitten demanded from the Budget Department of the Treasury to increase the budget for the Ministry of Absorption, and emphasized the obligation to provide benefits and ease to engineers who are currently missing in Israel. Chairman Bitan noted that he would convene an urgent meeting of the Commission with the Population Authority Director to resolve bureaucratic procrastination of Israeli citizens returning to Israel.

At the same time, Bitten expressed resentment that the Population Authority was delayed in issuing visas to Israel until July 1 - a directive that was canceled just yesterday, on the eve of the committee's hearing. Bitten estimated that the increase in immigration will be felt especially by France, due to the quality of the health system in the country and the rising anti-Semitism. In addition, he promised to work for the preference of immigrants in obtaining jobs in the public sector and government offices. 

According to Dr. Ayala Eliyahu, a researcher at the Knesset Research and Information Center, the Corona crisis has caused a sharp rise in interest in immigrating to Israel between two and eight times as much.

The crisis caused serious disruptions in the movement between the states, and in any case affected the actual immigration to Israel, but at the same time led to a sharp jump in interest in immigration. In the North American and Western European countries, there was a significant increase in applications for immigration during the Corona period compared to the same period the previous year, while in the Member States, Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania there was a decrease in the number of immigration applications.

The actual number of immigrants to Israel during the Corona crisis (March-May 2020) was 2,693, a 70% lower than the previous year. However, the number of immigrants in May 2020, with some of the restrictions due to the Corona crisis, was 957 - a 260% increase from April 2020. 

Xi Falber, director of the Immigration Unit, also reported a threefold increase in French requests to immigrate to Israel, highlighting the economic collapse of many communities, including established communities, and noting the wave of anti-Semitism alongside the world's assessment of the proper treatment of the Corona crisis. During the crisis, visas were issued for immigration in the Commonwealth countries, and therefore a significant drop in applications from these countries was recorded.

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According to Neta Briskin-Peleg, head of Nativ, which is responsible for clarifying immigration eligibility in the CIS, 43,000 applications were registered for "Nativ" last year, and there are now 60,000 inquiries, with an average of 65% being approved as law eligible. - Thanks. She warned that "our manpower will not suffice for such flooding. Even before the crisis, waiting for the actual increase lasts about five months." On the other hand, Finance Representative Eyal Madan could not tell about raising a budget for the absorption of immigrants.

The committee also brought the story of an immigrant from Los Angeles, who reached the height of the crisis and told of an exception of only ten days from the eligibility period to be considered a re-resident, which deprives her of health insurance eligibility. Deganit Sankar, director of the Immigration Encouragement Division at the Immigration and Absorption Ministry, replied that she would soon address her concerns, and also joined the assessment of a particularly large wave of immigration, which is estimated to reach 50-45,000 women and men by the end of 2020. She said the consulates had already opened And there's an answer in the email too. 

MK Alex Kushnir (Israel House) warned that competition for jobs will be fiercer after the crisis, and the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption should be prepared accordingly. According to MK Ophir Sofer (right), "This is now the 'man-time' of many immigrants, and the move Of stopping receiving new immigration requests during the Corona is incomprehensible. " 

Ronen Foxman, representative of the Nefesh Nefesh organization, reported a sharp increase, about 400-200%, with an interest in immigration in the US and the UK, an interest in filling all the required forms and documents, and further growth since the US riots. Foxman cited many of the most common professions in the United States that have not yet been recognized in Israel, which he says prevents these professionals from immigrating to Israel.