100,000 illegal foreign workers currently reside in Israel alongside 90,000 legal ones, the immigration administration reported today.
The immigration administration published figures for the period since it was established in September 2002. In this period, 80,000 foreign workers left Israeli voluntarily or were deported. 55,000 left voluntarily and 25,000 were deported. 23% of foreign workers were from Romania and China, 9% from Turkey, 8% from Moldova, and 6% from Thailand and Ukraine.
Immigration administration figures for 2003 indicate that almost 30,000 arrests were made. 6,000 investigations were opened, of which 500 cases sent for prosecution, of which 400 indictments were filed.
Immigration administration director Israel Police Maj.-Gen. Bertie Ohayon said today, "We avoid arresting families with children. Over 90% of the arrests were carried out at foreign workers' residences and all were carried out with a court warrant.
Ohayon said the immigration administration planned to deport 50,000 illegal workers this year, including 20,000 by means of direct legal measures and 30,000 voluntarily.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on March 3, 2004