Center for Ethiopian immigrants
צילום: סבסטיאן שיינר
Rewards for neighborhoods aiding with absorption
Immigration minister to submit proposal to government urging monetary incentives for neighborhoods with over 10 percent Ethiopian residents, same for native Israelis who move in to immigrant neighborhoods
A unique plan put forward by Immigration Absorption Minister Ze'ev Boim (Kadima) proposes the government pump funds into neighborhoods where over 10 percent of the population is of Ethiopian origin. Boim also proposes significant financial incentives for native Israelis who chose to move into immigrant neighborhoods.
The plan also calls for allocating positions in state service for immigrants, boosting mortgage funding for housing and more funds for programs to curb teenage violence within the Ethiopian community. Boim also stands for forming a cross-ministry committee with representatives from housing and construction ministry and officials from the ministry of finance.
The committee will study and submit its recommendations over matters crucial to the immigrant community such as public housing, infrastructure, grants and scholarships. Boim notes that the current level of monetary aid offered to immigrant families hasn’t been updated since 1994.
More Ethiopian civil servants
Boim said that by the end of 2007 the government will allocate 15 new official state positions for Ethiopian immigrants. In addition to this the entrance tests for state offices will be amended to better suit Ethiopian candidates, while at the same time state offices who make an effort to take in more Ethiopian employees will enjoy financial benefits.
There are some 111,000 Ethiopians currently living in Israel. According to data collected by the ministry for immigrant absorption a large number of families within the community are of a lower socio-economic standing, youths are more likely to be at risk and adults are more likely to be unemployed. 60 percent of the community receives aid from state welfare, four times higher than the general population.
"The plan we will present was designed to strengthen the Ethiopian community in Israel. In the meantime we are funding academic educations for Ethiopian youths, investing in welfare programs and allocating funds for integrating them into the workforce. I hope that the next government meeting will bring tidings to the community, and that the finance ministry doesn't bring our plan to a standstill," said Boim.
