Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata convened an inter-ministerial meeting Sept. 22 including representatives of the foreign and finance ministries to prepare for a possible influx in Russian immigration to Israel after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced another 300,000 troops would be mobilized for the war in Ukraine Sept. 21.

Ahead of the meeting, Tamano-Shata said, “We see more requests to immigrate from Russia. I follow the [Russian Jewish] community and the ministry is doing its best to make sure all those wishing to can arrive safely, despite challenges. My ministry is preparing for a large-scale immigration wave. We’ve had talks with El Al and other airlines to find solutions to allow the Jewish community in Russia to immigrate.”

After the meeting, the minister said, “We are doing everything in our power to help them reach us here in Israel safely, despite all the challenges that stand in their way at this time. My ministry is preparing for a massive absorption.”

Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman said after the meeting that his ministry will allocate the necessary budgets for receiving the expected immigrants.