PM, finance minister: Charity begins at home
Netanyahu, Steinitz present program to reduce number of migrant laborers. 'We have a moral commitment to children of foreign workers and refugees,' they reassure. Rights organizations: This is stamp of approval for modern slavery
The government on Sunday approved reforms intended to significantly reduce the number of migrant laborers in Israel. During a press conference in Jerusalem, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud) promised that by next year their numbers would be reduced to 30-50,000. "The situation is dire," he said. "We must act fast."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "The massive entry of illegal migrant workers in recent years creates a range of security, drug trading and human trafficking problems, but the reforms are first of all designed to address the problems of the job market."
"We are compelled to deal with the migrant workers in order to encourage weaker sectors of the population to enter the labor market, which is the only way for them to escape the poverty cycle," he added.
"Our commitment is first of all our poor as charity begins at home. We can't encourage the haredi population or the Arab sector and at the same time allow illegal workers, which is what is happening now. It also pulls down wages."
The decision determines a specific geographical area in which migrant labor will be permitted to work, as well as a specific field. Whoever works outside this area or outside his specific field for more than 90 days will be deported. The interior minister will also determine an upper limit for the number of employers each worker may have.
In addition to legislation designed to enable harsher sentencing for those assisting illegal aliens, the ministers are also giving greater powers to enforcement agencies. The immigration authorities can request a court warrant to enter private premises if required to locate illegal employment of workers. The reduction of incentives to import foreign labor unnecessarily is also part of the program, as well as harsher sentencing for those who illegally demand money for importing workers.
Grave situation
Following on from the harsh policy – backed by a large budget – to prevent infiltration from Egypt, the prime minister emphasized that "we want to ensure, using democratic means, that we will continue to be a state with a Jewish majority, with rights for non-Jewish citizens, which also means good work with reasonable wages."
Netanyahu noted that the reform decisions have nothing to do with the issue of migrant workers' children or children of refugees. "We will continue to stand behind our moral commitment to these populations."
Steinitz said that the situation is particularly grave when the proportion of migrant workers in Israel is compared with that in Europe.
In response to the program being approved, human rights organizations issued a notice asserting that "the government of Israel has anchored the 'revolving door' policy in law." The organizations, including Kav La'oved, the Workers Hotline and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, aimed to warn of "modern slavery", and the draconian limitations imposed in migrant workers and refugees in Israel which go against High Court rulings of recent years.
They claimed that situations of 'modern slavery' are created when permits are revoked of workers imported by the state but not integrated into a place of work; when limitations are placed on the status of family members of citizens of residents of the state; and when limitations are placed on the status of refugees, human trafficking victims and stateless persons."
