Israel

Year-end Overview

Plan Overview

Working environment

 
Israel hosts some 38,500 asylum-seekers and refugees, with the majority from Eritrea and Sudan. In addition, some 17,000 nationals of Georgia and Ukraine filed asylum claims as of mid-2017.  
 
The protection environment in Israel has continued to deteriorate since the end of 2011, with the implementation of policies and legislation intended to encourage departures such as the obligation for employers to deduct 20 per cent from the salaries of people of concern, to be returned only upon departure from Israel. This is expected to continue to adversely affect the socio-economic situation of asylum-seekers, particularly the most vulnerable families. Given Israel’s policy of forced relocation to African states, people of concern are also being placed at risk of indefinite detention.
 
The State of Israel has thus far recognized very few refugees. Within this context, Eritrean and Sudanese asylum-seekers are provided with only a limited form of group protection, which includes freedom of movement (unless they are obliged to stay at a semi-closed facility for up to one year), protection against refoulement and informal access to the labour market. The Government of Israel provides full and free access to primary and secondary education to all children in Israel, irrespective of their legal status. It also provides limited shelter and inclusion in rehabilitation programmes for recognized victims of trafficking. HIV-treatment, including medication and monitoring, is provided to the majority of affected asylum-seekers without health insurance. In addition, life-saving and critical support is delivered at the municipal level to assist some asylum-seeker children and families at risk.
 
UNHCR will continue to work with authorities, Knesset Members, refugee community-based organizations, academia and other civil society actors to pursue effective responses and to ensure adequate protection for people of concern, including access to basic services.
 

Key priorities

 
In 2018, UNHCR will focus on:
 

• Working with the Government to provide solutions for long-staying Eritreans and Sudanese through increased protection for those who will stay in Israel while facilitating resettlement and other pathways to third countries for others; 
• Reducing protection risks faced by children (e.g. neglect, abuse, lack of proper birth documents);
• Interventions to promote the self-reliance of people of concern through continued legal aid, increased skills training and improved access to job opportunities;
• Targeted advocacy on legislative changes in order to formally recognize and assist survivors of torture and to increase State support for victims of trafficking;
• Targeted work with community structures and institutions in order to decrease the number of sexual and gender-based violence incidents;

Advocacy for and the provision of welfare and health services for the most vulnerable people of concern, including those living with disabilities, survivors of torture, female headed households, and those unable to work.