Israel emigration at record low

Israel emigration at record low
Published:  9 Aug at 9 AM
The lowest number of Israelis emigrated from the country in 2010 for forty years as just 15,600 headed for pastures new, revealed recent data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

In addition, the data revealed that during the last three years the country has seen emigrants return in their droves, with record numbers being recorded. Those returning to Israel decided to do so primarily because of the ongoing economic uncertainty in the US and Europe, and have discovered that the economic climate in their homeland is better than they expected.

Since the Jewish state was founded 64 years ago, 684,000 Israelis have quit the country to seek prosperity overseas, while roughly 570,000 Israelis currently live abroad, primarily in Canada and the US. When taking into account the children born in other countries to Israeli parents or in mixed marriages, the number increases to in excess of 800,000.

Over the last decade, there has been a rise in Israelis opting to return to their motherland and a fall in those deciding to emigrate. At present, the migration rate sits at its lowest point for four decades, with just 0.7 Israelis departing for every 1,000 residents.

The country has also decided to create a career centre to offer advice to emissaries returning home after serving overseas. Every year, a large number of Jewish Agency emissaries, who work all over the world, move back to Israel. The new centre will assist them in finding the educational and employment opportunities they desire.