Scant Arrival of Foreign Workers in Israel Over 5 Months

By Aryeh Stern

The influx of foreign workers into Israel’s construction sector, which is in dire need of manpower, remains alarmingly low, Globes reported.

Dubbed “Building Israel,” a welcoming ceremony was held at the National Labor Federation offices in Modi’in and had the presence of Minister of Construction and Housing Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf, Minister of the Interior Moshe Arbel, Ministry of Construction and Housing Director-General Yehuda Morgenstern, Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee Chairperson MK Rabbi Yaakov Asher, National Labor Federation Chairperson Yoav Simchi, and other dignitaries.

Despite the government’s aim to bring in 45,000 foreign workers, only around 1,000 have arrived in Israel thus far, according to the latest data from the Population and Immigration Authority. These workers come predominantly from India and Moldova, with smaller numbers from Sri Lanka, Romania, and Hungary.

Remarkably, the majority of workers entered Israel through private channels rather than bilateral agreements, with only those from Moldova coming under such an arrangement. Notably, none have arrived under the new bilateral agreements with India, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan.

Industry sources had forewarned about the sluggish arrival of workers under bilateral agreements, prompting a reliance on the private track, which, albeit yielding limited results, has been the primary avenue for worker entry.

Amid the ongoing bureaucracy and learning curve for foreign worker recruitment agencies, Eldad Nitzan, chairperson of the Foreign Manpower Companies Association, emphasized efforts to expedite the process, with thousands of workers awaiting deployment from India and Sri Lanka.

While applications for permits to bring in foreign workers have surged, the Population and Immigration Authority has approved only a fraction of them due to the protracted process.

Despite the challenges, the ministers involved have expressed support for initiatives to bolster foreign worker recruitment for the construction sector, underscoring its pivotal role in advancing the Israeli economy.