Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer announced this week a new academic program designed to boost aliyah from France that has already drawn the interest of hundreds of potential immigrants, Israel Hayom has learned.
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The announcement comes against the backdrop of the Aliyah and Integration Ministry switching its focus from encouraging aliyah from Eastern Europe to France and other Western nations.
The program includes, among other things, medicine, and engineering studies at the Ariel University in Samaria, as part of which students will be able to learn in their native language for the first academic year without prior admission tests. Students will also be assigned mentors to aid them through the process.
Masters degree students, in turn, will receive a free education along with accommodation for the first year of their studies as well as Hebrew lessons and mentorship.
"Ever since I took office, I have stressed the importance of aliyah from France," Sofer said. The current plans are major news "for young immigrants from France. I view the immigration of youngsters to Israel as vital for the economy, academics, and the strengthening of the Zionist vision. The young academics who come to Israel strengthen the economy, enter the job market, and integrate into Israeli society."
Data shows that 25,264 immigrant students have moved to Israel in the past decade, with most studying at one of the four leading Israeli institutions – the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Reichman University in Herzliya, Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, and Tel Aviv University.
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