08.03.26, Ran Shimoni, Haaretz
About 23,000 Ukrainians live in Israel under temporary group protection, without refugee status or any social support, according to a report by the Assaf nonprofit. In 2025, many faced worsening food insecurity, declining physical and mental health and increased exposure to labor and sexual exploitation
Approximately 23,000 Ukrainian nationals live in Israel under group protection, without being recognized as refugees and without receiving essential social aid, according to a new report published on Tuesday, four years after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
According to the report published by Assaf, an aid organization for refugees and asylum seekers in Israel, and based on data from Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority, approximately 14,000 Ukrainian nationals have arrived in Israel since February 2022. An additional 19,000 were already in the country before that date, primarily as migrant workers, some of whom were undocumented.
Currently, all Ukrainian nationals are residing in Israel legally and are protected from deportation due to the dangers they face in their home country. However, this group protection is temporary as it is granted for fixed periods and extended incrementally, with no advance notice regarding the duration of each extension.
Recently, a few days before the group protection was set to expire, the Interior Ministry announced that the non-deportation policy would continue only until the end of March. This is in contrast to the European Union and the United States, where group protection was extended for at least another year.
The report further notes that Ukrainian refugees are no longer eligible for most elements of the basic assistance package the state provided during the initial months of the war, which included free healthcare, food vouchers and, in some cases, housing support.
Informal aid from relatives and volunteers has also diminished over time, while the prolonged lack of a regulated status has left many refugees increasingly vulnerable to economic hardship and social distress.
The security situation in Israel has further strained support systems for the refugees. Since October 7, 2023, Assaf has recorded a roughly 70 percent increase in requests for assistance from Ukrainian refugees, a rise the nonprofit says reflects the cumulative erosion of livelihoods and informal safety nets.
According to the report, 2025 saw a marked deterioration in levels of poverty and food insecurity among Ukrainian nationals living in Israel, alongside declines in both physical and mental health. A growing exposure to labor exploitation and prostitution is also noted.
A survey conducted in early 2026 among approximately 110 Ukrainian women found that one-third were employed illegally, with many compelled to combine legal and informal work to make ends meet.
Most Ukrainian refugees in Israel work in cleaning, caregiving and maintenance – sectors which are particularly prone to exploitation. Their average monthly income stands at 5,600 shekels (about $1,800), roughly 1,000 shekels below Israel’s minimum wage.
Data published in 2025 in a joint report by Assaf and the Adva Center, which analyzes socioeconomic policy in Israel, and drawing on earlier surveys, indicate that Ukrainian women spend an average of about 70 percent of their income on rent.
The report further finds that 79 percent are living below the poverty line. As a result, many families of Ukrainian refugee women share apartments, often living with their children in overcrowded conditions in order to reduce housing costs.
Only about 30 percent report full food security, while the remainder experience moderate to severe food insecurity. Half say they lack the financial means to maintain a balanced diet.
In the health sector, the report notes limited access to insurance and medical treatment. According to 2025 data, 65 percent of refugees forgo medical treatment due to their financial situation, and only approximately 56 percent of women are covered by health insurance.
The report also describes unique difficulties among the elderly, pregnant women, and chronically ill individuals, who are left without continuity of care due to insurance difficulties and high costs.
The report also points to ongoing harm to mental health, against the backdrop of “double trauma,” fleeing the war in Ukraine and becoming caught in the war in Israel.
Ukrainian children living in Israel, whose number is estimated at approximately 3,000, also face significant difficulties. Although they are entitled to enroll in the Israeli education system, the report points to deep language barriers, a lack of academic support and emotional guidance, and sometimes experiences of exclusion and bullying.
Some children are enrolled simultaneously in Israeli educational frameworks and in online schooling from Ukraine, a dual arrangement that complicates sustained integration and undermines the development of a stable sense of belonging.
According to Assaf, the lack of consistent, durable and comprehensive educational support harms their development and further exacerbates the vulnerability of their families.
Tali Ehrenthal, CEO of Assaf, said the organization’s experience with refugees from Eritrea and Sudan demonstrates that, in the absence of a social safety net, “refugees are pushed into poverty, food insecurity, and deteriorating physical and mental health.”
Ehrenthal stressed that “the state must immediately renew and expand assistance to refugees from Ukraine and extend collective protection in line with international practice.”
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