French Aliyah is at a crawl

Key Findings:

A sharp drop was registered in immigration from France in the last months, discussed in a full article in Haaretz. Dr. Dov Maimon explains the reasons for this.

1. Overall, aliyah increased by 24 percent compared to the same period last year, mainly due to a significant increase in immigration from Russia.

2. The increase in Russian immigration can be attributed to the war on Ukraine, with many Russians fleeing to avoid being drafted into the army and due to growing human rights concerns under the Putin regime.

3. Immigration from Ukraine, on the other hand, experienced a sharp decline, with a significant decrease of 87 percent compared to the same period last year. Many eligible Ukrainians for aliyah have either fled abroad or returned to Ukraine.

4. France and the United States, which have been significant sources of aliyah in recent years, saw sharp drops in immigration. This decline is attributed to Israel's rising cost of living, especially real estate prices, and growing political instability, including protests against the government's plan to weaken the judiciary.

5. Immigration from the United States reached a nearly 50-year high in 2021 but dropped by one-third in the first quarter of this year. This decline is seen as a readjustment back to pre-COVID levels.

6. France experienced a significant decrease of nearly two-thirds in Jewish immigration to Israel in the first quarter. Factors such as Israel's high cost of living, uncertainty surrounding the planned judicial overhaul, and protests contributed to this decline.

7. Immigration from South Africa, which spiked during COVID-19, was also down in the quarter but returned to pre-COVID levels. The perception that Israel was a safer option during the pandemic drove the initial increase in immigration.

8. Aliyah from Britain fell more than 50 percent in the quarter, with only 83 British citizens moving to Israel.

The reasons behind the overall downtrend in aliyah include the high cost of living, particularly real estate prices, and concerns about political developments and Israel's democracy. The impact of these factors varies among different countries and regions, leading to fluctuations in immigration numbers.