Israel Fact Sheet

May 2024

Introduction
There are approximately 40,000 asylum seekers in Legal Protection
Israel (including 8,000 children who were born in Without legal status, refugees are forced to live on
Israel or came at a very young age), the majority the margins of society, sometimes for generations,
having fled genocide in Sudan and forced military without access to healthcare, education, dignified work,
conscription in Eritrea. Asylum seekers within Israel’s or safe shelter. HIAS Israel supports asylum seekers
borders experience difficult conditions that limit access
to protection and make it difficult to lead a stable
life. The Israeli government continues to struggle
to implement a humane response, instead focusing
primarily on deterrence and pressuring people to leave.
Fewer than 1% of asylum applications are approved.
Although some refugees have been in the country for
years and speak Hebrew fluently, few prospects for
local integration, immigration status, and access to
basic rights exist. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
in February 2022, more than 30,000 Ukrainians came
to Israel. These arrivals receive renewable tourist
visas, but often struggle to find work and support
themselves. Around 200,000-250,000 Israelis were
displaced by the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks
and the ongoing military operations that followed.
HIAS works to provide life-saving support to those
displaced in Israel, and critical information to non- A representative from HIAS (L), talks with Michal (R) during
citizen communities and displaced families. a gathering of refugee women in Jerusalem, December 24, 2023.
(Amnon Gutman for HIAS)

HIAS Programs and Focus with various legal proceedings and before courts and
HIAS protects and supports refugees so they can tribunals, including those challenging deportation and
build new lives and reunite with family members in detention orders; appealing rejections of asylum claims;
safety and freedom. In Israel, we play a critical role filing humanitarian requests; and accompanying clients
in helping refugees secure legal status, the first step to Refugee Status Determination interviews and other
toward regaining control and stability in their lives. hearings. As the only NGO offering legal representation
HIAS also assists refugees with access to social rights to asylum seekers with urgent family law issues, HIAS
and services, facilitates resettlement, and works closely lawyers assist with domestic violence cases, child
with the private sector to provide pro bono legal support support, and guardianship cases. We provide legal
for refugees. In addition, we advocate for a fair asylum guidance and accompany clients to government offices
system and offer higher education support to Jewish or hearings, often helping clients navigate through
immigrants coming to Israel. bureaucratic obstacles.

Legal Emergency Response

We are the only agency in Israel building a network of We provide protection services and shelter assistance
pro bono lawyers and students to provide legal aid to to those affected by the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack.
asylum seekers and refugees.
 support services. Vulnerable remote communities that
were forcibly displaced from the attacks in the South,
including Eritreans who had sought asylum in Israel
before the crisis, are especially at risk.

Strengthening Israel’s Civil Society

HIAS trains and provides consultation for the staff and
volunteers of partner NGOs, as well as Israel’s civil
society. In the past year, we trained over 100 volunteers
to accompany asylum seekers to asylum interviews and
on providing paralegal assistance.

Scholarship Program
HIAS volunteers and African asylum seekers gather during a food
distribution by HIAS in Tel Aviv, February, 2023. (AG for HIAS) For the last three decades, HIAS Israel has run a
scholarship program for students who have immigrated
to Israel. The HIAS Scholarship Program has awarded
HIAS’ Model of Legal Protection
funds for higher education tuition to students based on
Our model of legal protection leverages the growing academic achievement, financial need, and community
interest from law students and attorneys to help asylum service. Each year, approximately 45 students are
seekers, awarding 30 fellowships each year to emerging awarded a HIAS scholarship.
legal professionals and collaborating with more than
10 leading commercial law firms who provide pro bono HIAS in Africa and Eurasia
support. These lawyers and law students receive training HIAS advocates for the protection of refugees, asylum
and mentorship from our seasoned legal staff to provide seekers, other displaced populations, and local host
pro bono legal aid and individual representation to communities in Africa and Eurasia. As part of a
asylum seekers. HIAS Israel has collaborated with comprehensive regional response to meet the urgent
more than 250 attorneys and law students and has needs of these populations, HIAS’ programming in
assisted thousands of clients since the inception of the region is focused on protection, gender-based
the program in 2014. HIAS is the only agency in Israel violence prevention and response, mental health and
dedicated to building a network of pro bono lawyers and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and economic integration
students who can provide legal aid to asylum seekers and community engagement.
and refugees.
HIAS currently has programs in three countries in Africa
Emergency Response (Chad, Kenya, and South Africa) and six countries in
HIAS acted swiftly when thousands of Ukrainians Eurasia (Greece, Israel, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and
started to arrive in Israel after the onset of full-scale Ukraine). Across the region, HIAS partners with a wide
war in 2022. We are supporting Ukrainian refugees in range of government agencies (U.S. Department of State
their search to find meaningful work by holding job Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor, U.S.
fairs, providing training, and connecting them with Department of State Bureau for Populations, Refugees
employers. HIAS also undertakes strategic litigation and Migration), UN entities (UNHCR, World Health
for critical cases that impact the refugee community at Organization), the private sector (Moderna), and other
large, such as our current petitions to provide access non-governmental organizations and local partners.
to health insurance.
Contact
Immediately after the October 7, 2023, terrorist
attack, HIAS and partners began providing For more information, please contact:
emergency protection services and shelter assistance Sivan Carmel
and then expanded its response to include cash info-il@hias.org
assistance, food and household items, and psychosocial +972-3-6911322

hias.org/israel 2