The committee for Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs, chaired by MK Gilad Kariv (Labor), convened on Monday for a follow-up debate on the topic of “Operation Rising Lion: Unique needs of new immigrants in times of emergency and the response of government ministries and local authorities to these needs.”
In the debate, Tax Authority official Haya Levy said “As of September 1, there are 920 evacuees in 450 hotel rooms, and 9,200 claims filed through the fast-track channel have already been processed and paid.”
In response to the committee chair‘s question as to how many of the evacuees are new immigrants, Levy replied: “We have no way of knowing who is a new immigrant and who is not.”
Committee Chair MK Kariv asked the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Tax Authority to cross-check information between them in order to determine how many of the claims come from needy immigrant families. “We will ask the Ministry of Aliyah to make sure there are no immigrant families facing problems with advance payments. We also noted the policy of covering brokerage and moving expenses also for those who canceled their rental agreements. We will ensure that this is indeed the case.
“The committee’s position is that even those who cancel their rental agreement—since it is in the state’s interest to save on bureaucracy—should receive compensation for moving expenses,” he said.
Related Topics
