Immigration to Israel from Western countries down in first quarter of 2023 – report
Arrivals from Russia said to account for three-quarters of 18,610 total, with sharp drop from US, UK, France and South Africa
Immigration in the first quarter of 2023 dropped from almost every country compared to the first three months of 2022, with the exception of Russia, according to a Tuesday report.
From January to March, 18,610 people immigrated to Israel, a climb of 24 percent over the same period last year. However, over 75% of those were from Russia, from which immigration tripled, Haaretz said, citing figures from the Jewish Agency for Israel
There was a sharp drop in immigration, known as aliyah, from France and the US, two powerhouses of arrivals to the country in recent years. The change was attributed to the cost of living, and in particular real estate prices, as well as the concerns surrounding the government’s planned drastic overhaul of the judiciary.
There were just 391 immigrants from the US, down by a third compared to 2022, and only 178 immigrants from France, a drop of almost two-thirds. UK immigration dropped 50%, with just 83 arriving in the country.
There was also a 27% drop in immigration from South Africa, with just 97 arriving.
“The aliyah process is not immediate by its nature and therefore current trends are reflected only after some time,” the Jewish Agency, which facilitates immigration, said in a statement.
The Nefesh B’Nefesh organization, which helps immigration from North America, said in a statement that the reduced numbers marked a return to the rate seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Aliyah continues throughout the months of the year, both from abroad and from those who have already arrived in Israel before, and therefore when trying to trace trends and changes, it is better to refer to the data for the entire year,” Nefesh B’Nefesh said in a statement.
The rise in immigration from Russia was attributed to that country’s mass call-ups to the army amid its ongoing invasion of neighboring Ukraine and an erosion of human rights under the regime of President Vladimir Putin.
By contrast, immigration from Ukraine dropped off after record figures last year in the wake of the Russian invasion. Many Ukrainians who are entitled to immigrate under Israel’s Law of Return either went to other countries or returned to Ukraine, the report said. There were only 861 arrivals, a drop of 87% compared to the same months last year.
