Israel Welcomes 25,000 Olim From Eastern Europe Since Outbreak of Ukrainian War

Nearly four months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of hostilities in Europe, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry has welcomed 25,000 olim from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, as part of the historic operation for emergency reception of refugees from Ukraine and its environs.

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Israel has been conducting a broad national effort to rescue and absorb new immigrants from Ukraine and its environs, which has led to thousands of new immigrants choosing to come to Israel.

Most of the new immigrants received temporary lodgings in hotels, and from there most of them dispersed to the various cities for permanent residence, closely accompanied by the Immigration and Absorption Ministry and the local authorities.

Haifa welcomed the most olim with 2,707 new immigrants, followed by Netanya with 2,438 new olim, and Tel Aviv-Yaffo, which has absorbed 2,324 new olim.

Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano Shata said on Monday that “since the outbreak of hostilities, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry has received more than 25,000 new immigrants and it is a great pride. Most of the new immigrants have already been absorbed into permanent housing, and these days the Aliyah and Absorption Ministry, in cooperation with the labor arm and the employment service, is integrating the new immigrants into the labor market through a variety of customized training programs and professional emplacement services. We will do everything so that they will soon integrate into Israeli society.”

There are an estimated 200,000 Ukrainians who are eligible for Israeli citizenship through the Law of Return.