Israel Signs Collective Labor Agreement for Immigration and Border Control Inspectors

Approximately 300 inspectors from Israel's Population and Immigration Authority, responsible for overseeing foreign workers and immigration laws, will transition from individual contracts to a collective labor agreement. The six-year deal, signed by the Histadrut labor federation, the Population and Immigration Authority, and the Ministry of Finance, standardizes salaries, career advancement, and benefits.

Negotiations for the agreement spanned 14 years, with discussions on financial terms concluding earlier but final document drafting ongoing. The inspectors' duties include verifying employers' compliance, identifying illegal hiring, investigating labor violations concerning foreigners, and managing asylum seekers. The new contract aligns their terms with those in the public sector, including salary increases and benefits, with additional payments for on-call duties, field inspections, and asylum case processing. It also introduces performance bonuses and a fund for professional development, aiming to provide a clearer career path than the previous individual contract system.

The agreement comes amid increased pressure on the inspection system. The government has expanded the recruitment of foreign workers, with a quota of up to 330,000, to address labor shortages, particularly after the war. This has heightened concerns about illegal employment, with over 44,000 foreigners found to be in Israel without legal status in mid-2026. In 2025, the authority initiated 515 investigations into foreign worker law violations, issuing 574 fines totaling approximately 6.1 million shekels, often for issues like lack of health insurance or failure to deposit required funds for workers.

The collective agreement is expected to improve staff retention and recruitment, crucial for the authority's ability to manage the growing number of foreign workers and the expanding scope of inspections. The deal also aims to establish more predictable pathways for professional development and advancement within the unit. Key negotiators included representatives from the Histadrut, the Population and Immigration Authority, and the Ministry of Finance, along with labor committee representatives and advisors.