Photo Credit: Yonatan Sindel / Flash 90
Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri, July 26, 2022.

A word to the wise for new immigrants to Israel: make sure you hang on to that passport from your country of origin.

Newly installed Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has instructed the Population Authority to prepare a new policy requiring new immigrants to prove they are remaining in the country before they can receive an Israeli passport.

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As of 2017, anyone who becomes a citizen automatically becomes eligible for an Israeli passport. In past years, however, immigrants were only eligible for a passport one year after their date of Aliyah.

“The ‘air train’ in which people eligible [for citizenship] under the Law of Return are taking advantage of their right to a passport and ‘absorption package’ [of government benefits], and then going back to where they came from is unacceptable,” Deri said in a statement on Tuesday.

But new immigrant benefits – such as tax discounts, housing subsidies and other stipends – are already automatically frozen if a new citizen leaves the country.

“We should give status and a passport only to those who are settling in Israel, not to those looking to get benefits they’re not entitled to.”


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Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.