JPost..
15 October '12..
A record number of 22,470 Israelis who were living abroad returned to Israel in the past two-and-a-half years, according to a report by the Immigrant Absorption Ministry released on Monday.
The ministry initiated a campaign to bring back Israeli citizens living abroad in May 2010.
Until then, a smaller number of Israelis returned each year; in the early 2000s, about 4,000 came back every year.
The amount started growing since 2008 and reached a peak in 2010 when about 11,000 citizens returned.
“These citizens are very important for the State of Israel,” explained Elad Sivan, Immigrant Absorption Ministry spokesman. “For every shekel we invest in a returning immigrant, we get about NIS 52 back.
Basically, no matter how much we invest in bringing them back, we only benefit from what they bring to the country with their professions for example.
“Especially in the present economic situation, every person returning, every scientist returning, every academic returning, every doctor, engineer or teacher is contributing to the economy of the country,” Sivan said.
According to the report, the vast majority of returnees are between the ages of 31 and 39, and include about 4,837 academics and researchers as well as 2,720 technical professionals such as engineers, programmers and hi-tech workers and also 681 business managers. Most of the returnees came from the United States followed by Canada, the UK and France. An increasing number of people have moved back from Australia, Romania and Hungary as well.
The ministry’s 2010- 2012 campaign to encourage Israelis to return included a package of economic benefits, including tax concessions, incentives for starting new businesses, employment counseling, health insurance aid and student benefits. Citizens who lived abroad for more than five years received all of the benefits while those who were away less received part of them.
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