Israeli immigration lawyer Nufar Bar, who practices in Porto, has received an unceasing stream of inquiries from Israelis seeking refugee status since October 7.

“We get them almost every day,” stated Bar, who assists Israelis in relocating overseas through the Portuguese legal firm Cotarelli e Rodrigues.

Lawyer Bar explained how straightforward the system is; “When you arrive in Portugal, you can declare that you want to apply for refugee status at the airport or later at an AIMA [Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum] office. You say you’re from Israel and want to apply for asylum. They give you a form to fill out and collect your biometric data.”

Commenting on the situation, a 27-year-old Israeli sees the process as a chance to start a new life.

“I had the impression that with the war, my future was compromised in Israel,” said the refugee seeker, who like the others interviewed for this story wished to remain anonymous.

“I lost my job and I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “So when I saw this possibility, I took the opportunity and saw it as the start of a new life, as I had nothing to lose.”

Although there are other immigration possibilities available in Portugal, Bar has discovered that a large number of Israelis choose to apply as refugees via the UNHCR's thorough procedure.

Within six to nine months of their application, candidates are contacted for an interview; following the interview, their status is determined. They receive assistance from the Portuguese government in the meantime.

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“So basically they get immediate rights. Some of them can work immediately, bring their kids to school, have access to healthcare and if they need they can have food and accommodation from the government,” said Alex Bayer, another immigration lawyer at Cotarelli e Rodrigues.

There is no official data available online regarding the number of Israelis seeking asylum in Portugal, and numerous attempts to reach out to the Portuguese authorities for clarification were met with silence. Still, there is a lot of discussion about it on Israeli Facebook groups and blogs.

“If you do not have any other options like EU or Portuguese citizenship and your income in Israel has stopped and you were evacuated from your home and you need a solution, this is an option,” Bar said, adding, “I’ve also seen young people who see it as an opportunity to try living in Europe.”

Meanwhile, the European Commission’s Department for Migration and Home Affairs only released an email saying that “the EU remains a safe haven for many of those forced to leave their homes due to persecution, wars, conflicts or natural disasters,” adding that “member states… decide on asylum applications on the basis of an individual assessment.”

For the past few months, in light of increasing regional tensions, multiple international airlines, such as Lufthansa, United, American Airlines, and Ryanair have been suspending or canceling flights from and to Tel Aviv. 

Israeli settlers leaving sees 150% increase since October 7 amid fears

On July 11, Israeli media reported on a large number of Israeli settlers leaving occupied Palestine with no intention of returning, revealing a significant increase in Israeli "reverse migration".

Israeli Channel 13, citing new data, described the situation as "very harsh", noting that there has indeed been a large increase in the number of Israeli settlers who have left occupied Palestine.

Lee Yaron, a writer for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and author of the book "October Seventh", said the data show that 5,000 Israeli settlers cut their stay in "Israel" since October, which comprises a 150% increase compared to the previous year between October and July.

Yaron pointed out that those who cut their stay are young with children, and they confirmed that "they prefer to start their lives in another place," noting that "those who cut their residencies talk about not feeling safe because of the war."

Thousands of Israelis are seeking immigration

In this context, Israeli Channel 12 reported that "the discussion about migration among Israelis on social networks has recently increased by more than 100%."

The channel highlighted an analysis by Scooper, a company specializing in comprehensive social listening and analytics, which revealed a two-and-a-half-fold increase in discussions about leaving the entity in recent weeks. The company clarified that these discussions were fueled by individuals talking about colleagues who had left, personal stories of relocating, and strong criticism of immigrants.

The channel also reported that since the start of the war, there have been over 100,000 instances of the term "relocating" being used to discuss migration from "Israel" across various platforms. It noted three peak periods in migration discussions during the war: the first shortly after October 7, with a 70% increase in usage, a second peak in March 2024, and a current third peak underway.