The number of residency applications submitted by children of foreign workers who grew up in Israel was significantly lower than the state had forecasted, it emerged on Thursday, the closing date for submitting applications.

A total of 821 families applied for Israeli resident status, of which 900 children and 1,450 family members who are not eligible for residency otherwise. This figure is lower more than half than earlier forecasts presented by Interior Ministry officials.

In June, the government approved new criterions for granting residency to children of non-Israeli parents who grew up in Israel. Under the criterions the children must be at least six-years-old at the time of application and were under 14 upon entering Israel. The applicants must prove to have stayed in Israel uninterruptedly for at least six years and their parents must hold valid stay permits. The child applicants must also be fluent Hebrew speakers and attend an Israeli school.

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The government's main concern was to avoid the deportation of children who acquired their cultural orientation in Israel, and would feel culturally alienated in their or their parents' country of origin.

This decision overturns an earlier, stricter decision, to grant residency status only to children of 10 or older born in Israel.

If successful, the child applicant receives permanent residency, while the parents and other non-eligible family members are granted temporary residency.

Citizenship is granted to children who serve at least a year in the army, and their family members receive permanent resident status.

Deportation plans still delayed
Law enforcement authorities will, however, postpone mass deportation efforts of foreign worker families. Sabine Hadad, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry, said there are plans for launching a campaign for voluntary repatriation of non-eligible families.

According to Hadad applications will be reviewed until late November, and families whose applications are rejected will be given 45 days to leave Israel voluntarily.

Immigration Administration chief Brigadier General Ezra Aharon said that "at this stage the administration is not taking any initiative and is not enforcing the law against families staying illegally in the country." According to Aharon, "the Immigration Administration will prepare alongside all the relevant authorities" to execute the deportation when the government instructs to do so.