Middle East News
Immigration to Israel lowest in 17 years
Dec 23, 2007, 21:43 GMT
Tel Aviv - Jewish immigration to Israel fell in 2007 to a 17-year low, the Israeli Ministry of Absorption and Immigration announced Sunday.
About 19,700 immigrants arriving was the lowest number since the fall of the Soviet Union, which led to mass immigration to Israel from former Soviet states. In 2006, about 21,000 people moved to the Jewish state, local media reported.
The largest arriving group remained citizens of the former Soviet republics, followed by Ethiopians, North Americans and French nationals.
More than 1 million people have immigrated since 1990 from the former Soviet Union to Israel.
Israel's Law of Return allows nearly anyone with one Jewish grandparent to immigrate to the country and receive citizenship along with some social allowances and benefits.
Earlier this year, reports said that the number of Israelis leaving the country exceeded the number of new arrivals for the first time in 20 years.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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