Absurdity in Israel: State-funded plane tickets for illegal immigrants

The High Court of Justice (Bagatz) criticized the state for failing to collect deportation costs from illegal migrants, as required by a 2001 law. Judges expressed outrage that taxpayers fund flights even for those willing to pay. The state admitted the lack of enforcement mechanisms but began creating them after a petition by the Center for Migration Policy.

The High Court of Justice (Bagatz) criticized the State of Israel for failing to collect deportation costs from illegal migrants, despite a law passed in 2001. According to data published by Ynet on July 27, 2026, only 860,000 shekels were collected in the first half of 2026—a fraction of the annual expenses amounting to millions of shekels. Judges Yael Wilner and Noam Solberg expressed outrage that taxpayers pay for flights even for illegal immigrants who are willing to pay out of their own pockets but cannot due to the lack of technical mechanisms. State representative Avi Milikowski admitted the situation is 'one of those best avoided.' The petition was filed by the Center for Migration Policy in 2024. The center's head, attorney Yonatan Yaakubovich, noted that the state has finally begun to confront the 'anarchy' but emphasized that years of funding deportations encouraged migrants to return to Israel repeatedly, knowing the taxpayer would pay for their return ticket.