Number of immigrants from countries in Europe to Israel 2021-2022

In 2022, 66,411 new immigrants arrived in Israel from European countries. This was a dramatic increase from the previous year, when the number of immigrants from the continent was 17,057. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 may be one reason for the increase in immigrants from Europe. The number of immigrants from both Russia and Ukraine increased dramatically - from 7,640 to 45,472 from Russia and from 3,059 to 14,656 from Ukraine in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The number of immigrants from the neighboring country of Belarus also doubled, from 1,014 in 2021 to 2,237 in 2022.

Jewish communities in Ukraine and Russia

Some Jewish communities can still be found in Russia and Ukraine, even after mass emigration of these communities in the years following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 to countries in Europe, the United States and Israel. Nowadays, the Jewish communities in Russia and Ukraine are relatively small compared to those in the United States and Israel. In 2022, they stood at 150,000 and 40,000 Jewish persons in Russia and Ukraine, respectively. People of Jewish origin can attain an Israeli citizenship based on their religion and live in the country. This process of migration to the country is known as ‘Aliyah’.