Population Authority: Around 47,000 Foreign Workers Have Entered Israel Since the War Began

Since the outbreak of the war, tens of thousands of foreign workers have entered Israel to address the severe labor shortage in the construction sector, following the suspension of Palestinian labor. In recent weeks, approximately 11,000 applications for bringing in foreign workers under the private construction track were processed, of which about 9,000 have already been approved.

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, around 47,000 new foreign workers have entered Israel to reinforce the construction industry’s workforce, according to new data released today (Monday) by the Population and Immigration Authority.

The data show that, through the efforts of the Construction Division and additional units within the Foreign Workers Administration, about 11,000 applications for foreign workers under the private track were processed in recent weeks. Of these, around 9,000 have been approved, with roughly half of the workers already in Israel and the remainder expected to arrive soon.

The construction workforce was severely affected after October 7, when roughly 100,000 Palestinian construction workers were immediately barred from working in Israel. In addition, several thousand foreign workers left the country due to security concerns. Just as the sector began to recover, the June military operation against Iran raised renewed fears of worker departures due to security threats, as well as delays in the arrival of additional laborers.

Moshe Nakash, head of the Foreign Workers Administration, stated: “In this complex period, the arrival of workers to the construction sector is truly welcome news. This achievement reflects the long and difficult work of the administration’s staff. We will continue to lead similar professional and efficient measures in this sector and across others in the Israeli economy, to ensure continued economic activity.”

Yesterday, the government approved a proposal by Acting Housing and Construction Minister Haim Katz to amend its policy on employing foreign workers in the construction sector. Under the amendment, the professional screening stages in the private track (B to B) for foreign worker recruitment will be canceled. According to Housing Ministry estimates, this step will shorten the recruitment process and help ease the labor shortage.

Two weeks ago, the “New Page” association, which represents manpower corporations employing foreign workers in construction, filed a petition with the High Court of Justice demanding that the state implement the recommendations of the Directors-General Committee and regulate the foreign worker employment system. The petition claims that serious failures in the authorities’ conduct are harming the construction industry and the public, contributing to a rise of tens of thousands of shekels in apartment prices.