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Identity, Belonging and Intentions to Leave of First and 1.5 Generation FSU Immigrants in Israel

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Abstract

Recent studies examining immigrant intentions to leave the host country have focused on return migration to the origin country (De Haas and Fokkema in Demogr Res 25:755–782, 2011; De Haas et al. in J Int Migr Integr 16(2):415–429, 2015). The current study examines immigrant intentions to leave the host country, but not necessarily to return to the homeland. The predictive model, which focuses on immigrant subjective identity, was tested through a survey of 338 first and 1.5 generation Former Soviet Union (FSU) immigrants in Israel, who applied to a prominent NGO to obtain proof of their Jewishness. These individuals are from the largest recent immigrant group in Israel, and are highly represented among the young adult (aged 25–40) immigrants leaving Israel. The findings indicate that contrary to our expectations, Israeli local identity did not have a significant effect on the immigrants’ intentions to leave Israel. By contrast, Jewish identity and level of religiosity did play a significant role in attenuating the immigrant’s tendency to leave. This paper highlights the complex relationship between ethnic identities and religiosity among immigrants in general, and in Israel in particular.

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Notes

  1. Under the Law of Return, any immigrant to Israel who has at least one Jewish grandparent is entitled to citizenship. This definition is not congruent with the religious definition, which holds that a Jew is anyone whose mother is a Jew.

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Acknowledgements

The data for this study was obtained from a research project supported by The Institute for Immigration & Social Integration and The Harry Oscar Triguboff Israel Institute of Conversion Policy.

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  1. The Institute for Immigration and Social Integration and the Department of Business Administration, Ruppin Academic Center, 4025000, Emek Hefer, Israel

    Karin Amit

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  1. Karin Amit
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Correspondence to Karin Amit.

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Amit, K. Identity, Belonging and Intentions to Leave of First and 1.5 Generation FSU Immigrants in Israel. Soc Indic Res 139, 1219–1235 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1758-2

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