As Deutsche Welle reports, according to official statistics, the number of immigrants arriving in Israel decreased by 16% in 2008 compared to 2007 and amounted to only 16,500 people. However, due to rising inflation, uncertainty about the future caused by the economic crisis, fear of losing jobs and poverty, people are starting to think about moving.
It is noteworthy that interest in moving to Israel is now also being shown by citizens of countries that until recently were considered strongholds of economic stability and prosperity, such as Great Britain. Due to the progressive recession and the difficult situation on the labor market, phones in the London office of 'Sokhnut' have not stopped ringing, said agency representative Rafi Nasi. He points out that in recent months the number of opened emigration cases has increased by 20%. This does not mean that all these people intend to emigrate, but it indicates that more and more families are interested in small business ideas and are considering options for moving to Israel.
According to Rafi Nasi, those who are commonly called the middle class most often seek information about moving. Middle-aged people who were recently well-off are now showing readiness to start their lives anew in a new country.
As noted in an interview with Deutsche Welle by the official representative of the 'Sokhnut' agency, Alex Selsky, such sentiments are felt especially strongly in Ukraine among the CIS countries. According to him, in a number of countries around the world, primarily in Ukraine, Argentina and South Africa, there is an increase in the number of inquiries to the agency's information centers. People are interested in moving opportunities and are even starting the process of preparing documents.
In the case of Russia, after the 1998 default, the number of repatriates from that country doubled. And now, as they admit in 'Sokhnut', many who wish to move abroad for permanent residence are not in a hurry to buy plane tickets; they send inquiries to several embassies simultaneously, choosing the best option for themselves.
"I cannot estimate the number of citizens in Russia or Ukraine who seek information about emigration to other countries. I am sure that Germany, the United States, and Canada are certainly the countries to which the main flow is directed," Alex Selsky believes.
However, after Germany tightened the rules for accepting ethnic Germans and Jews from the republics of the former Soviet Union, the number of those moving to Germany sharply declined. Thus, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, while in 2007, 2,502 Jews and their family members from the former Soviet republics came to Germany, last year there were only 1,436 people.
And in order to bring its citizens back to the country, the Israeli authorities decided to exempt them for 10 years from taxes on income earned abroad. Such a benefit may interest those who once left the country and were able to start their own business outside Israel.