Children of migrant workers ask to be allowed to join IDF: ‘Want to give back to the country’

Dozens of children of migrant workers have asked the government to grant them citizenship and allow them to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

The teens have sent a letter to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and the Prime Minister’s Office.

The teens are reportedly making the request using a legal clause that allows citizenship to be granted to those who contribute to the state.

In a related initiative, a similar letter was recently sent on behalf of 120 teenagers by the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants.

Since the start of the war, a number of teenagers have made individual requests to join the IDF that were not granted, Kan reports.

“I feel like this is my home. Israel has given me a lot and I want to give back to the country,” one of the teenagers tells the outlet.

עשרות ילדי עובדים זרים הגישו בקשה להתאזרח ולהתגייס, על סמך סעיף בחוק האזרחות שמאפשר מתן מעמד למי שתורם למדינה >>> https://t.co/rtcoGfUegb@NOFARMOS pic.twitter.com/b9VDftQIDN

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 26, 2024

The issue of the children of foreign workers and the IDF returned to the spotlight this week when Arbel announced that the father of slain IDF reservist Cedrick Garin would be granted permanent residency in Israel.

Enrico Basilio was deported from Israel to the Philippines some 22 years ago, when his son was just 2 years old.

Basilio returned to Israel in January of this year for the first time since he was deported, in order to attend his son’s funeral. The 23-year-old IDF reservist was among 21 soldiers killed in Gaza in January when a deadly RPG attack collapsed two buildings with soldiers inside.

As Basilio was deported when Cedrick was just 2 years old, the boy was raised solely by his mother, Imelda, also originally from the Philippines, who retained her status as a temporary resident even after Cedrick received citizenship upon the completion of his IDF service.