JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Knesset passed a measure barring illegal migrants from sending money out of Israel and limiting how much they can take when they leave.
Two amendments to the Law for the Prevention of Infiltration passed Monday night on second and third reading.
Under the measure, illegal migrants leaving Israel would be allowed to take with them no more than the sum of their minimum monthly salary multiplied by the number of months they have been in the country.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted for the bill, according to a statement issued by his office.
“We have blocked the phenomenon of infiltration into Israel. Last month only two infiltrators crossed the border, as opposed to over 2,000 one year ago,” Netanyahu said in the statement.
“Now we are focusing on the infiltrators’ departure from Israel. Several thousand infiltrators have already left Israel, and we are continuing to work on repatriating the illegal work infiltrators already here.”
On Sunday, Netanyahu called for the repatriation of illegal migrants’ days after a government attorney said Israel has reached an agreement with unnamed counties to repatriate migrants from Sudan and Eritrea.
Israel cannot deport Eritrean nationals because they could be killed or imprisoned. Sudanese nationals are not deported because Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Sudan.
