50,000 'illegal' foreign workers to be expelled from Israel by end of 2003

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday August 23, 2002 13:15 by ED fight_back23 at hotmail dot com

50,000 foreign workers to be expelled from Israel by end of 2003

In efforts to deal with Israel's rising unemployment, the cabinet decided this week to expel at least 50,000 illegal foreign workers from the country by the end of 2003. Police Commissioner Shlomo Aharonishky was instructed to set up a "temporary administration" to carry out the deportations.

Finance Minister Silvan Shalom approved a budget of 200 million shekels ($43 million) for the project, which will eventually be formalized with the establishment of a permanent "emigration authority," the cabinet decided.

Israeli Police's Maj.-Gen. Yaakov Ganot was appointed to head the temporary administration. Some 400 police officers will be charged with rounding up illegal foreign workers, and they will be backed up by representatives of the Interior and Labor Ministries.

According to initial plans, the police will raid residences and work places where foreign workers are employed, and will prepare deportation papers on the spot for workers in the country without permission. Labor Ministry officials will ensure that the workers receive all salary and employment benefits, and have an opportunity to pick up all their belongings before being detained prior to their deportation.

The government issued tenders for the housing of illegal workers and their family members awaiting deportation. Prison Service officials will supervise the housing arrangements. According to media reports, hotels, hostels, army camps, and even passenger ships are being considered as possible lodging for the workers.

Finance Ministry officials said that in addition to deporting illegal workers, they would enact new regulations that would make employing these workers "not worthwhile." Yediot Aharonot reported that foreign workers would be required to pay full income tax, and their employers would assume financial responsibilities for employing them.

Financial incentives would be granted to employers accepting unemployed Israeli workers into their businesses, the paper said.

According to data presented to the cabinet this week, there are some 250,000 illegal foreign workers in Israel. In January, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs officials launched a campaign to expel over 1,000 illegal workers from the country each month.

this artical was taken from http://www.israelinsider.com

This situation needs to be monitored closely! who will be counted as illegal?