KOCHI: Even as the seven Keralites who have gone “missing” in Israel have triggered a row, tour operators say this is not a new trend and that hundreds have disappeared after reaching the Middle Eastern country on tourist visa.
They abscond in the hope of getting a job. Most of them end up as cleaning staff or hotel workers. But they get better pay compared to those doing the same job in the Gulf countries, the tour operators say.
“There are some agencies that take the money and help people contact Keralites working in Israel. They collect Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh as bribes. These Keralites settled in Israel help illegal immigrants get refugee status from the UN, and a work visa,” says Jose Sleeba, whose agency Royal Omania has been conducting pilgrimage trips to Israel since 1994.
Biju Kurian, who was part of the state government-sponsored delegation of farmers, and six pilgrims have gone missing in Israel this month. The pilgrims were part of a 26-member team that left Kerala on February 6.
A travel agency in Tiruvalla, led by a priest, had organised the trip. The team reached Israel on February 11 and three persons went missing on February 13, Three others went missing the next day.
‘Illegal immigration will land Pilgrim tour operators in trouble’
According to Jose, such illegal immigration will land the Israeli tour operators who facilitate the pilgrimage in trouble. “My father Fr Sleeba Kattumangattu Episcopa started a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1994 and we have taken 3.5 lakh people from across the globe to Israel on pilgrimage in the past three decades. Initially, some people cheated us and we have been cautious in selecting the pilgrims since then. We conduct an enquiry into the family background of the pilgrim before confirming participation,” he says.
In November 2022, 13 members of a 48-member group went missing in Israel. These people who abscond seeking a fortune make it tough for other Indians visiting Israel, Jose says. Due to the rising number of illegal immigrants, the Israeli government has introduced a security deposit of USD 40,000 for a group of pilgrims.
If the incidents of pilgrims turning illegal immigrants increase, the Ministry of Interior will blacklist the travel agencies involved. The Indian Embassy in Israel has also informed the Israeli government that Indian illegal immigrants need not be provided work visas, he says.
Israel acts tough against illegal immigrants, says Josephai Sam Abraham, president of Kerala Jews Association. “Many Keralites who tried to illegally immigrate to Israel were caught and extradited by the authorities. However, there are thousands of Keralites who have legally obtained jobs as caregivers and nurses in that country,” he adds.