What can Israel, one of the smallest countries in the world, teach us about International Migration, one of the biggest global issues today?

Established as an immigrant society based on a returning Diaspora, for decades Israel has coped with a vast stream of immigration comprised of a heterogeneous population. Young and old, educated and less so, from developed Western economies and from some of the poorest countries in the world, Israel has adapted to become an increasingly diverse society. Israel developed institutional structures for assisting the immigrants and facilitating their economic and cultural integration. The accumulated experience, as well as the challenges that Israel faces as a result of the constant inflow of migrants is the basis for the expert knowledge that motivates this international program in migration studies.

In recent years an increased percentage of immigration to Israel consists of migrant labor from around the world and those seeking refuge in Israel. This phenomenon not only challenges traditional views of state boundaries, citizenship, and civil rights, but also positions Israel as a micro-cosmos of the many issues confronting and challenging the world today. It is these unique characteristics of Israeli society along with the world-renowned experts in the field of immigration studies at Tel Aviv University that make this program particularly attractive.