Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Dec 17: According to the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Bengaluru, Israel has become a preferred destination for job seekers from Karnataka in 2024.

The Israeli government has approached India, seeking 10,000 construction workers and 5,000 healthcare professionals. In November 2023, it was officially announced that Israel's construction sector plans to recruit one lac Indian labourers to replace Palestinians.

The RPO indicated that a significant number of people from Karnataka have applied for Police Clearance Certificates (PCC), which are mandatory for overseas employment in many countries.

Passport officer Krishna K stated, “We issue PCCs for multiple countries, including Western Asia, Australia, and the UK. Currently, the demand for PCCs is higher for Israel. In 2024, we have already provided PCCs to 2,200 people from Karnataka, compared to 1,576 PCCs issued in 2023. The demand for PCCs increased following the conflict between Hamas and Israel last year.”

He further added, “So far in 2024, a total of 25,000 PCCs have been issued, including 6,000 for Kuwait, 2,200 for Israel, 2,000 for Australia, and 1,382 for the UK. The demand for PCCs for the UK has seen a significant drop, from 2,396 in 2023 to 1,382 this year. On May 9, 2023, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an agreement to recruit 34,000 workers for its construction sector and 8,000 for the nursing sector. This year, the RPO is on track to set a new record in passport distribution.”