The Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs, chaired by MK Gilad Kariv (Labor), convened on Monday to discuss the significant increase in the number of emigrants from Israel.
According to a report published by the knesset Research and Information Center, the years 2022–2023 saw a sharp rise in the number of Israelis leaving the country for long periods. In 2022, 59,400 Israelis left — an increase of 44% compared to the previous year — and in 2023, the number rose to 82,800. October 2023 saw a marked increase in departures, possibly influenced by the outbreak of the swords of iron War. This upward trend continued in 2024, with the number of departures from January to August 2024 roughly matching the same period in 2023 (about 50,000 in both years).
Conversely, the number of Israelis returning after a long stay abroad in 2023 (24,200) was lower than in 2022 (29,600), a trend that persisted in 2024 — with 12,100 returnees from January to August 2024, compared to 15,600 in the same months of 2023.
In all recent years, the number of returnees after a long stay abroad has been smaller than the number of long-term emigrants. In 2023, the gap between departures and returns was the largest, with returnees accounting for only 29% of those who left.
Israel‘s migration balance (calculated by subtracting the number of long-term emigrants from the number of returning residents, excluding new immigrants and new citizens) decreased by approximately 125,200 people since the beginning of 2022.
Ayala Eliyahu of the Knesset Research and Information Center said, “Since 2022 we have seen a clear rise in the number of Israelis choosing to leave the country for extended stays abroad, alongside a decline in the number of those choosing to return. In 2022, Israel’s population decreased by 29,700 citizens; in 2023, by 58,600; and in 2024, up to August, by 36,900.”
Committee Chair MK Kariv said, “There is no government program to encourage the return of Israelis who have left the country. Our committee intends to focus intensively on the issue of bringing Israelis back from abroad. We were disappointed to see that only a small number of government ministries and authorities treat the return of Israelis as a central issue that should be on the national agenda. Tens of thousands of Israelis have chosen to leave in the past two years. This is not just a wave of emigration — it’s a tsunami of Israelis choosing to leave the country. I expect the Israeli government to recognize this trend and focus efforts on halting it. The state is ignoring the problem despite numerous red flags. There must be a government plan for the return of Israelis currently living abroad. Today, about one million Israelis live in foreign countries around the world.”
MK Evgeny Sova (Yisrael Beitenu) said, “The current government is doing everything it can to encourage negative migration from Israel and to prevent efforts to promote Aliyah to Israel. Emigration is a ticking time bomb that must be addressed urgently. Deciding to make Aliyah is a long and bureaucratic process — but leaving the country happens without warning. Many Israelis transfer funds abroad and buy real estate for residence — these should be seen as early warning signs of emigration. We will continue to raise the alarm until we find a solution to the negative migration crisis.”
MK Vladimir Beliak (Yesh Atid) said, “Tens of thousands of Israelis left the country even before the war began, and the phenomenon has intensified since October 2023. Those who choose to emigrate are people who have a tremendous impact on Israel’s economy, and their departure causes financial damage amounting to billions of shekels. A coherent policy must be developed to keep our best and brightest in Israel.”
Eric Michaelson, Deputy Director General for Immigration at the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, said “We are the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration — not a ministry for preventing emigration. I am not aware that we have any mandate to stop the process of people leaving the country. We work on behalf of Israelis living abroad to maintain contact with them through ‘Israeli houses,’ where tens of thousands of Israelis participate in activities — with the aim of eventually bringing them back to Israel. I am not aware of any internal planning within our ministry for preventing emigration. The populations of new immigrants and returning residents are under our responsibility, and we work to help them stay in Israel long-term.”
Adv. Danny Zaken of the National Insurance Institute said, “We initiate termination of residency only after five years abroad. On the other hand, citizens can contact us proactively and request earlier cancellation of their Israeli residency. From 2015 to 2021, there were an average of about 2,500 such requests per year. In 2022, the number rose to about 3,700; in 2023, to about 6,300; and in 2024, over 8,400 requests were submitted to terminate residency. There is a clear trend of more families proactively requesting to cut off residency.”
Committee Chair MK Kariv concluded: “We are in the midst of a major wave of emigration, and the National Insurance Institute’s data reflect the desire of Israelis who leave to completely sever their residency ties with the state. There must be a coordinated government effort to stop this trend. I reiterate my call to the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration to formulate a strategic plan to encourage the return of Israeli citizens. There should also be monitoring of academic faculty members who leave Israel to work at universities abroad. We will hold a follow-up meeting on this matter after the publication of an additional report by the Central Bureau of Statistics.”
