The Knesset Aliyah, Absorption and Diaspora Committee chaired by MK Oded Forer (Israel Beitenu) on Sunday debated the immigration policy of the Nativ liaison bureau and the Jewish Agency, in light of alarming data about the trends of immigration in the past year.
According to the Jewish Agency’s data, between January and August 2023, 23,183 new olim arrived in Israel, a 42% decrease compared to the corresponding period last year, when 39,857 new olim arrived in Israel.
72% of the olim in 2024 (16,608) came from the former Soviet Union countries. 14,514 came from Russia, 693 from Ukraine, and 546 from Belarus. These numbers are significantly lower than the corresponding period last year, constituting a 49% drop, most likely as a result of the war in Ukraine.
The number of olim from Western Europe from January to August 2024 is 2,446, a 50% increase compared to the same period last year. 1,456 olim came from France, compared to 827 last year (an increase of 76%), and 433 came from the UK, compared to 280 (an increase of 55%).
Aliyah from North America, Oceania, and South Africa between January and August 2024 was 2,760, an increase of 11% compared to the corresponding period last year. 2,202 olim came from the US, compared to 1,931 last year, from Canada 233 compared to 230 last year. There was a 10% decrease in Aliyah from South Africa compared to last year: 209 compared to 233 olim. There was a 20% increase in Aliyah from Oceania compared to last year: 116 vs. 97.
Between October 2023 and September 2024, 13,203 immigration cases were opened in Russia, a figure that reflects a 45% decrease in the number of cases compared to the corresponding period in the years before. In contrast, in the US, 6,367 immigration cases were opened, a figure that reflects a 60% increase compared to the corresponding period in the years before. The highest increase was seen in France, with a whopping 342% rise, 5,657 new cases opened.
Shoham Alon, the Head of Nativ in the Prime Minister’s Office explained: “The war in Israel impedes the desire to get an Aliyah date to Israel. People in Ukraine are starting to get used to the state of war with Russia, those who wanted to immigrate have already immigrated to Israel or other Western European countries. Over 80% of immigration permits to Israel are granted after the first interview. After people from the Jewish Community upload their documents, many times they are asked to provide supporting documents and this process takes time. We are witnessing quite a phenomenon of forgery of documents attesting to individuals’ Jewish status. In the coming months, we will see the lines in St. Petersburg getting shorter.”
