Haaretz: “Israel” May Begin Deporting Ukrainians Next Month

By Staff, Agencies

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian migrants in “Israel” could face deportation as early as next month due to the government’s failure to renew their temporary protection status, Haaretz reported on Thursday.

Approximately 25,000 Ukrainians were granted group protection in 2022 following the escalation of the war, but their permits expire at the end of December and require annual renewal. The government has not yet taken action to extend them.

“Israel” has been notably unwelcoming to many Ukrainian arrivals, particularly those who do not qualify under the Law of Return. Non-Jewish Ukrainians often received only short-term visas, encountered restrictive entry procedures, and were excluded from pathways to long-term residency or social benefits — leaving many in persistent legal and economic uncertainty, according to multiple “Israeli” media outlets.

With no acting interior minister in place, authority over the matter now falls to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, yet no decision has been issued, Haaretz wrote. The “Israeli” entity’s so-called “Population and Immigration Authority” said the issue remains under review and that an announcement will follow soon.

Across the European Union, support for Ukrainian migrants is also coming under strain as governments scale back aid amid mounting financial pressures. Eurostat reports a recent rise in the number of military-aged Ukrainian men entering the bloc after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky relaxed travel restrictions for males aged 18–22 — a trend that worsens Ukraine’s already acute manpower shortages.

Germany and Poland, which host the largest Ukrainian populations in the EU, have begun tightening benefits as public support declines. Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced last month that welfare payments for Ukrainian migrants would not continue beyond 2026.

Public attitudes in Poland have deteriorated since 2022, fueled by social tensions and perceptions of Ukrainian refugees as freeloaders or potential criminals. In one example, Ukrainian youths were involved in nearly 1,000 police interventions this year related to fights, alcohol misuse and non-lethal weapons in a major central Warsaw park, Gazeta Wyborcza reported.