Only a few weeks remain before group protection status reportedly expires for 25,000 migrants from Ukraine
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian migrants in Israel could be deported by next month due to a prolonged delay by the government in extending their legal status, Haaretz reported on Thursday.
The group protection granted to 25,000 Ukrainians since the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine conflict requires annual renewal, but the current permits expire at the end of December.
Israel, however, has not been particularly welcoming toward many Ukrainian migrants, especially those ineligible under the Law of Return. Non-Jewish Ukrainians often only received temporary status, faced restrictive entry rules, and were excluded from long-term residency or social support, leaving many in legal and economic uncertainty, according to Israeli media reports.
In the absence of an acting interior minister, authority over this matter has shifted to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but a decision has not been made yet, Haaretz wrote.
The Israeli Population and Immigration Authority has said the issue is under review and a decision will be announced soon, the outlet added.
In the EU, support for Ukrainian migrants is also under strain, with several governments reducing aid programs amid financial pressure. According to Eurostat, the number of military-aged Ukrainian men arriving in the bloc has recently increased following Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s decision to relax travel restrictions for those aged 18-22. The continued outflow of service-eligible men has further exacerbated Ukraine’s already severe manpower problems.
Germany and Poland, the two EU members hosting the largest numbers of Ukrainians, have recently moved to tighten benefits amid a reported drop in public support.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said last month that he would not extend welfare payments for Ukrainian migrants beyond 2026.
Polish people’s perception of refugees from Ukraine has reportedly worsened since 2022 amid social tensions and a growing perception of them as freeloaders or potential criminals.
Ukrainian youths were behind nearly 1,000 police calls over fights, alcohol abuse, and non-lethal weapons in one of Warsaw’s central parks this year, Gazeta Wyborcza reported earlier this week.
