Israeli officials are concerned about the increase in illegal migration into Israel, as statistics showed that the number had doubled in the past two years.
According to data obtained by the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper from the Immigration Office, the rate of illegal migration via sea and land borders has increased remarkably.
In 2018, Israel recorded three incidents, compared to 14 in 2021 and about 28 in 2022.
The issue of illegal migration was highlighted by the media on Monday after authorities discovered a day earlier an empty inflatable boat on the Mediterranean shore of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv.
The Israeli army said it opened an investigation into the incident to determine how the boat entered territorial waters.
The police were searching the waters for signs of survivors after finding the passports and personal belongings of eight people, including children, in the boat. The missing individuals are reported to be Somali and Turkish nationals.
A local security official said judging by the size of the boat, it probably carried a large number of people.
The discovery of the boat has raised questions in Israel about the effectiveness of anti-migration measures. The Israeli website Walla reported that the initial military investigation showed that the rubber boat was spotted only hundreds of meters from the coast.
“It is still unclear clear why the boat was not detected and spotted at a greater distance, allowing the navy and ground forces to prepare for the possibility of an infiltration,” a military source said.
A police official said the incident was “a serious security failure.”
Officials speculated that either all the passengers drowned or were transported to a larger ship, leaving their boat to wash up in Netanya.
Migrants regularly attempt to cross the Mediterranean in a desperate attempt to reach European shores. Greece and other southern European countries, such as Italy, Spain and Malta, have emerged as the main entry point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.
Hundreds of migrants die or are presumed dead along the Mediterranean route before they reach their destination.
