4,000 French Immigrants Reach Israel as Paris Weighs Capital Controls

More than 4,000 Jewish immigrants have arrived in Israel from France this year, exceeding the total for all of 2025 as officials prepare for possible restrictions on moving money out of Paris.

Dganit Sankar-Larna, director-general of the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, said the government is preparing for scenarios where post-election decisions in France could make transferring savings to Israel more difficult. About 3,400 Jews moved from France to Israel in 2025. The current figure exceeds 4,000, a rise of nearly 50 percent compared with the same period last year.

France is home to roughly 440,000 Jews. North America, with close to eight million Jews, is projected to send about 4,000 immigrants this year under optimistic forecasts.

Recruitment for Israeli employers began at aliyah fairs held this month in Paris, Marseille, and Lyon. The Paris event drew over 600 households, about 2,000 people. Ministry data showed that around 90 percent of attendees said they wanted to move immediately or by 2027. Representatives from Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems, and Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot attended the Paris fair. They met with about 200 prospective immigrants and identified more than 50 as potentially suitable for available positions. Some candidates were interviewed the following day.

Roni, a 75-year-old Paris resident who has lived there since 1975, said speaking Hebrew or mentioning Israeli military service once drew positive responses and now often meets with negativity. He said some Jews avoid wearing kippahs, including on Yom Kippur, and that unease is strongest among Jews in their 30s and 40s. Roni and his wife have bought an apartment in Herzliya.

Immigration from France is at its highest level in years, according to Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer, who said the ministry is preparing to absorb thousands more. Prime Minister officials have been instructed to formulate a government plan to support the arrivals. Sankar-Larna said the ministry sees itself as a human resources department for the state, filling shortages in engineering, medicine, education, and artificial intelligence.

New communities have formed in Nahariya, Afula, Hadera, and the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood of Haifa, in addition to the established destinations of Netanya, Tel Aviv, and Ashdod. About 200 immigrants from France have settled in Or Akiva in recent years.

Israel's cost of living and housing prices remain obstacles. Many French Jews live in subsidized housing and would need to give that up to move. The ministry is working to remove bureaucratic barriers and provide tax and pension advice.