The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption is responsible for providing government assistance to new immigrants and to returning residents.
The Ministry assists immigrants from the day they enter the country, striving to facilitate their full integration into every area of Israeli society.
Absorption assistance is provided through dialogue and cooperation with the immigrants and their organizations. The Ministry guides the immigrants' leadership towards developing self-efficacy and quality services that will help them successfully cope with the challenges of absorption.
The Ministry promotes the integration of immigrants through intense investment in several processes:
Identifying the immigrants' potential for growth and contribution.
Developing appropriate opportunities for realizing this potential, and providing the suitable tools to achieve this goal.
Providing resources for personal, family and community assistance at a level of quality that meets the needs of new immigrants.
In order to meet the needs of new immigrants, the Ministry has instituted the following:
Rules, procedures and budgets that guarantee the new immigrants' eligibility for assistance.
Special services through its branches across the country (housing, employment, culture, etc.)
Agreements with various organizations that allow them to provide assistance to immigrants during the absorption process.
Cooperation with other government ministries and public organizations in joint projects for new immigrants.
Coordination of assistance to new immigrants granted by government ministries and local authorities.
Expected challenges in immigrant absorption over the next several years include:
Initial absorption – adapting basic assistance to every immigrant group based on that group's particular characteristics.
Employment – correct investment in human capital brought by the immigrants in order to allow them to personally and professionally advance, while contributing to the Israeli economy.
Education – finding ways to strengthen the sense of belonging in Israeli society among both young people and adults from the various immigrant groups while enabling them to retain their unique cultural identities.
Community Development – Establishing a general sense of responsibility towards the creation of appropriate conditions to absorb immigrants on the local and community level. This assistance includes, on the one hand, concern for the weaker groups that require assistance in housing, social services and education while also including fostering strong leadership among particularly talented immigrants who contribute to their community through research, teaching, medicine, business ventures, cultural institutions and the arts.