31/10/2023
Explained: Israel Wants Thousands of Indian Workers. Here's Why
Even additional foreign workers from India, China and beyond, as per an increased quota, may not be enough to address the critical dearth of manpower in the housing sector.
During Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen’s truncated visit to New Delhi last month, both countries signed an agreement that would facilitate 42,000 Indian workers in Israel, out of which 34,000 would be brought into the construction industry. A few weeks later, an Israeli government delegation went to China to interview 5,000 candidates for jobs in the construction industry. Last year, Israel also turned its eye towards Morocco to look for recruits for its construction and caregiving sectors.
Till now, Indian workers were primarily involved in caregiving, accounting for a majority of the 18,000 Indian nationals in the West Asian country. The venture into the construction labour market in Israel would be new for Indians.
According to a report in Walla News dated May 29, the Indian workers would be admitted to Israel in phases – half in the first year. The tally of 10,000 Indian workers that was mentioned in the article was, however, much less than what was cited by the Israeli foreign ministry.
The Hebrew article quoted the Israel Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA) as stating that Indian workers would be an answer to the “great shortage” in the construction and nursing sector in Israel.
It further noted that “about the foreign workers expected to arrive from India, another wave of workers from China is expected for the construction industry”
