Israel has expanded its financial incentive programme for African nationals willing to leave the country voluntarily, offering eligible migrants $3,500 (approximately KSh455,000), free flights and assistance with travel documents.
The temporary arrangement, which took effect on November 9, 2026, will run until December 31, 2026. It extends the departure grant to nationals of all African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and South Africa.
The programme targets African nationals who have lived in Israel for more than two years without valid immigration status. It also covers certain holders of temporary residence permits and people who entered Israel legally but overstayed their visas.
The expansion means Kenyan nationals who meet the eligibility requirements can now apply for assistance to return home.
However, the offer is not available automatically to every African living in Israel. Applicants must submit an application and undergo an individual assessment by Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority.
How the $3,500 departure programme works
Under the arrangement, eligible applicants receive a $3,500 financial grant and a government funded flight to their country of origin. Authorities will also assist with obtaining travel documents where necessary.
Applicants can register online or visit the relevant immigration department offices. Applications are reviewed and suitable candidates are invited for interviews before their departure arrangements are made.
Those approved for the programme also receive protection from immigration detention until their scheduled departure, subject to the programme’s conditions.
The Israeli government describes the initiative as an assisted voluntary return programme intended to help foreign nationals leave the country in a respectful and orderly manner.
Why is Israel expanding the programme?
The expansion follows a decline in the number of African nationals leaving Israel through government assisted departure arrangements.
Figures published by Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority show that 2,815 African nationals left through the programme in 2025, compared with 3,511 in 2024. This represents a decline of approximately 20%.
The authority attributed the reduction partly to fewer opportunities for migrants to relocate to third countries, tighter asylum policies in the United States and disruptions to international flights caused by regional conflicts.
The revised arrangement is intended to widen the pool of eligible applicants and encourage more migrants to take up the offer before the end of 2026.
Israel’s history with African migrants
Israel’s departure programme comes against the backdrop of a longstanding immigration and asylum debate involving African nationals, particularly people from Eritrea and Sudan.
Many of these migrants arrived in Israel after fleeing conflict, political persecution and difficult conditions in their home countries.
In 2018, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu introduced a controversial plan offering African asylum seekers $3,500 and free flights to leave Israel for third countries.
Those who refused to leave faced the possibility of detention. The plan attracted criticism from refugee organisations and human rights groups, which questioned whether the departures could genuinely be considered voluntary.
The proposed arrangement eventually collapsed following legal challenges and the breakdown of an agreement with the United Nations. Uganda and Rwanda, which had been identified as possible destinations, denied having agreements to receive migrants under the arrangement.
The latest programme is presented as voluntary departure assistance, but it continues to raise questions about immigration policy, the treatment of asylum seekers and the circumstances under which people choose to leave a country where they have established their lives.
What Kenyan nationals should know
For Kenyans living in Israel without valid immigration status, the expansion potentially creates an opportunity to receive financial assistance and a government-funded flight home.
However, eligibility is determined by the Israeli authorities, and Kenyan nationality alone does not guarantee access to the $3,500 grant.
Those interested in the programme should seek clarification directly from Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority before making travel arrangements or decisions about their immigration status.
Applications under the temporary expansion must be submitted by December 31, 2026.
The development is particularly relevant to African nationals living abroad, as it highlights how immigration policies can change and how financial incentives are increasingly being used by governments to encourage voluntary departures.
