The count is not complete of the many Israelis abroad who are returning to their country right now, but the trend is clear. According to the Interior Ministry's Population and Immigration Authority, more and more Israelis who have been abroad for a long time are returning to Israel due to the novel coronavirus. Some 550,000 Israelis returned in February and March. About 15% of them, around 80,000 people, had spent an extended period abroad. That last group is growing, reaching more than 30% in April.
To understand the significance of this trend, it is useful to divide the returnees into four groups: First we have the students studying abroad, returning because their studies were discontinued over the pandemic. Then there are the backpackers — young Israelis who traditionally take several months after their army service to see the world. There are also Israelis who had relocated, moved abroad for periods of one to three years for work or study. Finally, there are the emigrants who had lived abroad for many years.
