Tens of thousands of Ukrainians face deportation from Israel

At least 25,000 Ukrainian refugees risk losing their right to stay in Israel due to delays in extending the protection program and issuing residence permits.

Current residence and work permits are set to expire at the end of December, putting tens of thousands of Ukrainians at risk of deportation back to their home country, Caliber.Az reports, citing Haaretz.

The government has yet to decide on extending the program, which remains under discussion.

With no serving Interior Minister to oversee the policy, originally established as a temporary measure, control has shifted to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Weeks after the 2022 war broke out, then-Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced that Israel would grant temporary protection to 20,000 Ukrainian refugees, most of whom had previously been in Israel without legal status, along with an additional 5,000 new arrivals fleeing the conflict.

Refugees initially received a three-month residence permit, which was later converted into a residence and work permit requiring annual renewal. This permit is set to expire next month, but Israel has not yet decided on an extension.

In May, the UN Refugee Agency reiterated that Ukrainian refugees should not face deportation and urged a broad extension of temporary protection measures. Meanwhile, the European Union has extended protection for Ukrainian citizens until March 2027, the United Kingdom extended it for another two years, three months ago, and the United States has prolonged it until October 2026.

Several human rights organisations reportedly sent at least three letters to government agencies in November 2024 requesting an extension of temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, but no response has been received.

By Jeyhun Aghazada