Immigration Minister Sees Rise From West, Cites Global Instability

Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer stated on September 8 at the Global Aliyah Live Summit that immigration to Israel from Western countries, particularly France, the UK, and others, has seen a significant increase. This comes as data released before Rosh Hashanah indicates over 20,000 new immigrants arrived in the Hebrew year 5786 (September 2025-September 2026), despite ongoing emigration from Israel. Sofer expressed confidence that this trend of increased immigration will continue, stating that "everyone understands what is happening in Europe, Australia, and other countries."

Addressing the impact of the October 7th Hamas attack, Sofer acknowledged it as a motivating factor for some, but emphasized that the primary reason for immigration is the desire to be part of building Israel. He recalled a French woman who decided to immigrate shortly after October 7th, despite no prior Zionist youth movement involvement.

Sofer also discussed the emigration of Israeli doctors, expressing regret but highlighting his ministry's focus on encouraging the aliyah of physicians. He noted a rise in doctors among new immigrants over the past two years and expressed hope for continued growth in this area. Regarding security concerns, he stated that while Israel is not an easy country, the defeat of Hamas and significant damage to Hezbollah have altered the security situation.

The minister detailed efforts to improve immigrant integration, including bureaucratic reforms and a new system that supports immigrants from application to community integration. For the Hebrew year 5786, Russia was the leading country of origin with 5,685 immigrants, followed by France (4,364), the US (3,333), and the UK (975). A total of 414 doctors immigrated during the year, alongside other skilled professionals, with programs in place to aid their integration into the Israeli workforce.

It was also noted that the total number of immigrants in 5786 was slightly lower than the approximately 25,000 who arrived in 5785, but the number of applications from Western countries saw a notable increase.