Israel canceled an emergency program offering Russian and Belarusian nationals an expedited path to Israeli citizenship, Israeli media reported on Saturday.
According to Haaretz, the fast-tracked program for immigration to Israel, or Aliyah, will remain open to Ukrainian immigrants.
Haaretz reported that the number of Russian nationals seeking Israeli citizenship has spiked amid concerns about an expanded military draft, along with human rights violations.
Tel Aviv’s latest move will leave fresh arrivals seeking to make Aliyah from Russia and Belarus without legal residency status for months and limit their access to employment, housing, and health care.
(MEMO, PC)
