Israel has become a sought-after destination for job seekers from Karnataka in 2024, according to the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Bengaluru. The Israeli government is actively recruiting workers from India, including 10,000 construction laborers and 5,000 healthcare professionals. In November 2023, it was announced that Israel’s construction sector aims to hire 100,000 Indian workers to replace Palestinians.

The RPO has seen a notable rise in demand for Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs), essential for overseas employment. Krishna K, the passport officer, shared that the highest demand for PCCs in 2024 has been for Israel. “So far, we’ve issued 2,200 PCCs for Israel this year, compared to 1,576 in 2023,” he stated, adding that the increase in demand followed the conflict between Hamas and Israel in late 2023.

In total, the RPO has issued 25,000 PCCs this year, with Kuwait, Australia, and the UK also seeing significant numbers. The demand for PCCs for the UK, however, has declined, from 2,396 in 2023 to 1,382 this year. Notably, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced plans in May 2023 to recruit 34,000 workers for its construction sector and 8,000 for the healthcare sector. The RPO is poised to set a new record in passport distribution in 2024.