Three years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian asylum seekers in Israel are finding themselves facing economic instability and lacking a socio-economic safety net, according to a report published by ASSAF.
ASSAF, or Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel, advocates for the rights and security of Israel’s asylum-seeking population. The organization recently published an updated situation report on the state of Ukrainian refugees ahead of the third anniversary of the war between Russia and Ukraine which identifies uncertainty for their status in Israel.
About 23,000 Ukrainian citizens live in Israel, about 11,000 of whom fled with their children to Israel since the start of the war in Ukraine, according to data provided by the organization. Fleeing from a war in Ukraine, only to be met with another war in the country they fled to, has led to additional levels of insecurity.
The organization describes in the document that approximately 23,000 Ukrainian citizens are currently in Israel under collective protection from deportation, thanks to the state’s recognition of the inability to return them to Ukraine.
Upon arrival in Israel after the outbreak of the war, refugees received assistance in the form of critical health services, food stamps, and housing assistance. However, these benefits dwindled over time until they almost fully disappeared, leaving them without support.
The same support coming from relatives and volunteers has also been significantly reduced as individuals and families may have limited resources.
Projects for Ukrainian refugees have also closed in a number of refugee and migrant aid organizations, creating additional obstacles for those impacted.
In February 2024, Judge Michal Agmon Gonen ruled that the Population Authority must issue a 2A5 visa to all Ukrainian citizens residing in Israel under temporary protection. However, by July of that same year, only 1,800 Ukrainian refugees had acquired this visa.
According to ASSAF’s report, the visa restricts rights, requires frequent renewal, and requires recipients to agree to a voluntary deportation, instilling fear and ultimately discouraging others from issuing their visa or asking for help from authorities.
Cycle of hardship
This continues a cycle of hardship that this group has already experienced. “Although the law allows refugees with ‘tourist’ status to work legally, data collected by the organization shows that 39% of Ukrainian refugees are not working, and 26.2% are employed ‘illegally,’” the organization stated.
“Many employers refuse to employ them due to the lack of work permits registered in their passports or due to a lack of familiarity with the procedures. This situation makes it difficult for refugees to find work and earn a decent living and leaves them vulnerable to abusive employment and exploitation.
In addition, the lack of a formal visa limits their access to public and banking services and their ability to find decent housing, which deepens their economic and social distress.”
According to the organization, the policy toward Ukrainian refugees has proved problematic in access to healthcare services nationwide. A sudden interruption of health services in August 2023 was only restored after a number of court petitions and public calls for restoration — only to be restored in part and temporarily.
New regulations were introduced in 2024 but excluded the 18 to 60-year-old bracket. This exclusion was allegedly based on the assumption that these people would be insured through their employers. This assumption ignores those unable to work, exposed to abusive and exploitative employment, or are self-employed.
According to the report, many who are eligible still run into bureaucratic issues, including children and the elderly. Years out from the start of the war in their home country, and with the addition of Israel’s ongoing war, many Ukrainian refugees are unable to access mental health services to deal with trauma.
Ulyana Dryuchkova, ASSAF’s Coordinator of Mapping and Support for Ukrainian Refugees, stated that becoming a refugee is not a choice and that the state needs to provide more assistance.
“The complex situation of refugees highlights the need for broader understanding and support. Our accumulated experience at ASSAF in assisting refugees from Eritrea and Sudan shows that without an adequate social envelope, this community will continue to deteriorate into a life of poverty, food insecurity, and deteriorating health and mental health,” she said.
She continued, “Three years after the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Israel, the country, which is currently experiencing one of the most difficult periods in its history, should recognize that refugeehood is not a choice, but a default, the result of personal, family, and national tragedy.
The state is committed to renewing and expanding the assistance provided to Ukrainian refugees and their children so that they can live with dignity and security. Until the state wakes up or until they can return home safely, we will continue to provide individual assistance and work for the rights of Ukrainian refugees and war refugees in Israel.”
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
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