Report: Number of Jewish immigrants to Israel declines

The number of Jewish immigrants to Israel has decreased in 2016 compared to 2015; a new report has revealed.

As many as 27,000 Jewish immigrants arrived in Israel this year compared to 31,000 in 2015; Israel’s Channel 2 reported citing a statistical report by the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Immigrant Absorption Ministry.

Russia and Brazil witnessed an increase in the number of Jewish immigrants to Israel while France and Ukraine witnessed a significant decline in the number of immigrants.

Approximately 7,000 new immigrants arrived from Russia in 2016, some 400 more than in 2015. Meanwhile, as many as 760 new immigrants arrived from Brazil in 2016 compared to 500 in 2015.

A total of 5,500 new immigrants arrived from Ukraine in 2016 compared to nearly 7,000 in 2015.

Israel encourages Jewish immigration in order to change the demographic of the country and balance out the increasing Arab population.