Aliyah from Russia still high: More than 5,000 immigrants in January

The number of immigrants from Russia isn't coming down - in fact, this January saw the second most immigrants in a month since the war broke out.

 New immigrants from USA and Canada arrive on a special " Aliyah Flight 2016" on behalf of Nefesh B'Nefesh organization, at Ben Gurion airport in central Israel on August 17, 2016,  (photo credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)
New immigrants from USA and Canada arrive on a special " Aliyah Flight 2016" on behalf of Nefesh B'Nefesh organization, at Ben Gurion airport in central Israel on August 17, 2016,
(photo credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)

The rates of Aliyah (immigration to Israel) are still very high, hundreds of percent more than they were up until a year ago - since the Russian-Ukrainian war broke out.

During January 2023, most of the immigrants to Israel came from Russia with more than 5,500 olim, an increase of 637% compared to the number of immigrants in the corresponding period during 2022. 

According to a Jewish Agency report obtained by The Jerusalem Post, during January 2023, the number of olim arriving in Israel through the Jewish Agency was 6,622, which is 211% more than the amount of olim during January 2022.

Immigrants from the FSU

6,180 olim arrived in Israel from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) countries during January 2023 through the Jewish Agency, representing 93% of all those who made aliyah during this month. This is an increase of 479% compared to the number of FSU olim during the same month of last year. More than 320 of the olim were from Ukraine, and 159 came from Belarus.

The number of olim from Russia proves that the aliyah from this country isn't going down, as happened with Ukraine. This is the month with the second-highest number of immigrants from Russia since the war broke out.

 A view shows the entrance to a Russian branch of the Jewish Agency for Israel, in Moscow (credit: REUTERS/EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA)
A view shows the entrance to a Russian branch of the Jewish Agency for Israel, in Moscow (credit: REUTERS/EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA)

The month with the most immigrants from Russia was November 2022 with more than 6,700 olim. During the entire previous year, less than 4,000 made aliyah from the US and Canada, therefore Russia is by far the country with the most interest in aliyah to Israel - by far.