Ukrainian embassy torches Israel over restrictive refugee policy

Tel Aviv mission says relaxed criteria still not covering main challenges faced by non-Jewish refugees and urges Jerusalem to allow asylum seekers to temporarily work in the country

Itamar Eichner|
Published: 03.17.22

The Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv on Thursday sharply criticized Israel's policy regarding Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war-torn Eastern European country which it deems too restrictive.

Israel moved to relax the criteria for the admission of non-Jewish refugees from Ukraine, saying those who have relatives in the country would be excluded from the refugee cap initially set by Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, while Prime Minister Naftali Bennett promised the country will allow those refugees to stay in Israel until it's safe for them to go back.


Ukrainian refugees in Ben Gurion Airport
(Photo: Yariv Katz)

Nevertheless, the Ukrainian Embassy posted on its Facebook page that "the recently updated immigration policy of Israeli Government towards Ukrainians is not covering the main challenges for non-Jewish refugees from Ukraine. Russia is committing genocide of Ukrainians, killing thousands of civilians, while the Israeli Government inspects each and every refugee from Ukraine with a fine-toothed comb. We urge those who take decisions to cancel the policy of quotas and other artificial obstacles towards women and children fleeing war-torn Ukraine."

The embassy also urged Israel to allow the refugees to work in the country temporarily, saying that it had presented a detailed plan to Shaked.

"We hope that the government, whose nation experienced the refugee life throughout its existence, will embrace those, who are saving their own lives and lives of their children - looking for a temporary shelter from horrors of war."
The Ukrainian embassy also stressed that Ukrainians who are seeking temporary asylum in Israel did not come there randomly and have family or friends in Israel who are ready to host them.


A compound in Ben Gurion Airport for Ukrainian refugees
(Photo: Riki Carmi)

The Ukrainian embassy has previously called on Israel to join the global effort to sanction Russia amid the invasion.

"Don't do business with murderers!" the embassy wrote in Hebrew. "Every transaction with Russia helps [President Vladimir] Putin's regime continue to harm innocent people. The boycott of Russian business can save lives and delay the genocide. We call upon you to join the world's leading companies in an effort to stop the genocide."