The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Israel has introduced a new rule that allows expedited consideration of refugee applications by citizens of Ukraine and deportation of those who fail to meet the specified criteria.
The relevant rule came into effect on October 17, according to Vesti, the Russian-language Israeli edition. The ministry believes that such a step will significantly reduce the number of illegal immigrants from Ukraine and make verification routine at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport more "friendly" toward Ukrainian tourists.
According to the newspaper, a massive inflow of refugee applications by Ukrainians has been witnessed since year-start. Some 7,000 such applications have been filed.
Certain Ukrainian firms and Israeli lawyers promise Ukrainians quick legalization in hope to earn some extra cash.
Under the current regulations, foreigners could not be deported from Israel until a special commission reviews their application and gives an official response by granting asylum or rejecting the appeal. The procedure takes from several months to several years.
However, even in a case of refusal, it is possible to deport an illegal immigrant only if they are not endangered in the country of origin.
Israel decided to change its policy toward Ukraine after expert assessments had been received, according to which Ukraine is no longer considered a "dangerous" country. Therefore, there are no obstacles to expedited processing of applications.
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Besides, deportation is possible to other regions of Ukraine. The newspaper claims that Kyiv has already confirmed that they are ready to accept their citizens who have been staying in Israel illegally.
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