With most immigrants settled into permanent housing, government to focus on integrating olim into workforce.
By TPS
More than three months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of hostilities in Europe, Israel’s Ministry of Immigration and Absorption welcomed 25,000 olim (new immigrants) from Ukraine and surrounding areas.
Israel’s Ministry of Immigration and Absorption has been conducting Operation Come Home, a broad national effort to rescue and absorb immigrants from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova and Belarus.
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 ministry officials and local authorities.
Haifa welcomed the most olim with 2,707 new immigrants, followed by Netanya with 2,438 new immigrants, and Tel Aviv-Yafo, which has absorbed 2,324 new immigrants.
Minister of Immigration and Absorption Pnina Tamano-Shata said Monday that most of the new immigrants are already been absorbed into permanent housing, and that efforts are now underway to integrate the newcomers into the workforce.
“We will do everything so that they will soon integrate into Israeli society,” Tamano-Shata said.
There are an estimated 200,000 Ukrainians who are eligible for Israeli citizenship through the Law of Return.
There are roughly half a million Israelis of Ukrainian descent.
United with Israel staff contributed to this report.