Repatriation from CIS countries fell by 50%: Knesset records alarming turnaround

In 2025, repatriation from the countries of the former USSR decreased by about half compared to 2024 and fell to the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.

These data were presented at a meeting of the Knesset Committee on Aliyah, Absorption, and Diaspora chaired by Gilad Kariv from the ‘Democrats’ party.

The figures look like dry statistics. But for Israel, this is a matter of demography, economy, and strategic future.

Aliyah dynamics: from peak to sharp decline

Yearly comparison

According to official data, about 11,000 people from the CIS countries repatriated to Israel in 2025.

For comparison:

— in 2024 — more than 22,000;
— in 2023 — about 38,000;
— in 2022 — approximately 63,000.

Thus, over three years, the flow decreased almost sixfold from the peak values of 2022 and halved compared to last year.

The last comparable decline was observed in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when movement restrictions virtually halted international migration.

Historical context

In the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, more than a million Jews took advantage of the Law of Return and moved to Israel.

This wave changed the country’s economy, labor market, education system, technology sector, and culture. The Russian-speaking community became one of the key ones in Israeli society.

Today the trend is the opposite.

Budgets, priorities, and government criticism

Distribution of funds

At the commission meeting, the distribution of budgets aimed at stimulating aliyah was discussed.

According to official reports, in 2025, only about 2.2% of the allocated funds went to organizations related to Russian-speaking aliyah.

Representatives of repatriate organizations claim that the main part of the budget is directed to religious and ultra-Orthodox structures engaged in promoting repatriation.

This statement became one of the central topics of discussion.

Gilad Kariv’s position

Gilad Kariv stated that the decline is related to government policy.

According to him, the government sharply reduced support for stimulating repatriation from the CIS countries and did not offer new mechanisms to overcome difficulties.

Kariv noted:

“If the government wanted, it could stimulate repatriation from the CIS countries in many creative ways.”

He gave the example of tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens eligible for repatriation and currently living without regulated status in European countries — in Germany, Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states.

In his estimation, these people could become part of Israeli society with active government policy.

Ulpanim ‘Nativa’ and cultural centers

Kariv also pointed out the cessation of funding for ‘Nativa’ ulpanim in the CIS countries and the reduction of investments in Israeli cultural centers of this organization.

According to him, the commission identified “numerous government omissions.”

He emphasized that although the government does not accept “racist and offensive proposals” from Knesset member Avi Maoz aimed against repatriation from the CIS countries, the actual policy leads to the depletion of this repatriation.

What this means for Israel

Demography and labor market

The decline in aliyah directly affects the demographic balance and the labor market.

Repatriates from the CIS countries have traditionally actively integrated into the fields of medicine, engineering, high technology, science, and small business.

The reduction in flow means a decrease in the influx of qualified personnel.

Geopolitical factor

In 2022–2023, the growth of aliyah was largely associated with Russia’s war against Ukraine and general instability in the region.

As people adapt to new conditions and procedures tighten in Israel, some potential repatriates choose alternative destinations — Germany, Poland, the Baltic states.

This is competition for human capital.

In this context, Nikk.Agency notes: the discussion around aliyah from the CIS countries goes beyond an internal political dispute. It is about the strategic resource of the state.

Political component

The issue of budget distribution and priorities reflects a broader ideological conflict within Israeli politics:

— should aliyah be stimulated equally from all regions;
— which structures receive state support;
— which demographic groups are considered priorities.

So far, the statistics indicate a decline.

Conclusion

The facts for 2025 are as follows:

About 11,000 repatriates from the CIS countries.

A drop of about 50% compared to 2024.

The lowest figure since the pandemic.

2.2% of budget funding — to organizations related to Russian-speaking aliyah.

The question facing the government and the Knesset: is this a temporary decline or the beginning of a sustainable trend.

The answer to it depends not only on the structure of aliyah but also on Israel’s long-term demographic and economic trajectory.