Interior Minister Yosef Burg told the Knesset last night that he intends to maintain his liberal policy with regard to granting Israeli citizenship to applicants not covered by the Law of Return. He said that last year all but two out of 151 such applicants were granted citizenship, the two having been rejected for security reasons. The Law of Return confers Israeli citizenship on Jews arriving here who opt for it.
Dr. Burg issued a strong warning to foreigners who traffick in drugs. He said that expulsion orders would continue to be issued against such persons, Jewish or non-Jewish. He also warned tourists who take jobs in Israel without securing a permit or who extend their visits without renewing their visas that they faced possible expulsion. The Interior Minister said vigorous measures were being taken to detect such persons. He said his Ministry did not object to tourists staying in the country for long periods, provided that they did so legally.
Dr. Burg made his remarks in the course of reviewing the Interior Ministry’s work during the past year. He said he intended to amend the 1955 entry regulations in order to keep out undesirables. The old regulations are inadequate for current needs, he said. He proposed new rules that would state clearly under what conditions foreign nationals were entitled to enter the country and when the authorities may legitimately deny them entry.
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