The Absorption Ministry’s annual budget will be out by 8.7 percent from IL190 to IL168 million. The out was made as part of the overall outs in ministries budgets, and due to the slowdown in immigration. The Treasury originally asked that IL38 million of the Ministry’s budget be out, but the Ministry claimed that this would seriously harm the absorption of immigrants. It was further agreed between the Treasury and the Absorption Ministry that in case of an immigration wave to Israel, the Ministry will receive the budget from the general reserves.
Social absorption programs will not be affected by the outs, but employment and financial aid to immigrants immediately after their arrival will be. The Ministry only recently changed the system of granting privileges to immigrants from tax exemptions and reductions to allocating sums of money to the immigrants for their free use on absorption expenses.
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