Immigration workers strike, closing offices

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Israeli workers in the Ministry of Interior’s Population, Immigration and Border Authority have gone on strike, leaving all operations suspended.

What does the change mean? Those in need of visas, passports, or other immigration services should be prepared for delays.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Visas, work permits and all other immigration-related services.
• Who is affected: Anyone in need of immigration-related services in Israel.
• Impact on processing times: Processing delays should be expected.
• Business impact: Businesses may need to adjust their timelines if their employees are among those affected by the work stoppage.
• Next steps: BAL will continue monitoring the strike and alert clients of important developments.

Background: Population, Immigration and Border Authority workers went on strike Sunday, demanding higher pay and increased staffing levels. The strike continued Monday and left immigration offices in Israel closed. It is not yet clear when the work stoppage will end, but Sunday’s strike followed a partial strike three weeks ago in which workers refused to issue biometrics passports or identity cards, but continued issuing standard ones.

BAL Analysis: Foreign nationals in need of services at immigration offices should prepare for significant delays. It is not clear when the strike will end; even when it does, officials will likely be faced with a backlog that could further delay services.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Israel. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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