Groundwork has begun for the construction of a new prison that will, for the first time, be designated exclusively for detaining people in the country illegally, officials confirmed this week.
The decision was finalized last week during a presentation of new plans by the Israel Prison Service (IPS). Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi submitted the proposal to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who approved it immediately.
The facility is expected to become operational in the near future. Its main purpose, officials said, is to classify all undocumented migrants as security detainees rather than criminal offenders, as has been the practice until now.
Israeli police have been giving growing attention to the issue. Earlier this month, two Palestinian attackers who entered Israel illegally carried out a shooting at Jerusalem’s Ramot junction, killing six people.
According to data obtained by Ynet and its sister publication Yedioth Ahronoth, police have inspected 665,605 vehicles since the start of the year in efforts to locate undocumented migrants. Of those caught, 542 were jailed.
A geographic breakdown shows 194,538 inspections in the northern district, 122,492 along the coast, 32,862 in the south, 446,313 in Jerusalem and 861,855 in the Jerusalem periphery. The police tactical division conducted an additional 12,220 inspections, while the homeland security division carried out 4,832.
In a recent Knesset discussion, IPS Deputy Commissioner Tamar Dori said the number of detainees has risen directly due to the new policy. “Currently, there are about 2,500 undocumented individuals classified as criminal detainees, and this figure is growing because arrests are now made after a first offense, not just after a third,” she said.
Yossi Maimon of the National Security Council added that a tour had been conducted at the Saharonim detention center in the Negev, where 3,500 new spaces are expected by October 2026. Authorities are also examining the possibility of building another facility in central Israel.