Source: Rubin, Shira. “As Ukrainians Flee to Israel, a Debate over Who Is Allowed to Stay.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 Apr. 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/19/israel-ukraine-war-refugees-identity/.

Amid the Ukrainian War, when Russian troops began to invade Ukrainian cities with force, millions of citizens were forced to evacuate their homes and seek new lives in other countries. Among these millions is Olga Olinichenko, a Ukrainian citizen who is currently applying for Israeli citizenship. Within the past month, Israel has received and accepted roughly 24,000 Ukrainian refugees, an influx that is considered the largest wave of immigration since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The government is currently struggling with its attempts to create a balance between competing demands and pleas. Along with other countries worldwide, Israel has been unequipped to handle the unprecedented influx of immigrants. In addition, with thousands of immigrants entering the country, Israel has seen thousands of highly skilled immigrant workers such as doctors, engineers, and scientists working as cleaners or security guards.

A concept known as brain waste, where immigrants begin to take jobs where their skill is being undervalued, can describe the scenario for many Ukrainian immigrants entering the destination country of Israel. Many of the immigrants are entering the country with highly specialized skill levels, but are unable to find a job that matches their skills. On the other hand, because of Israel’s booming high-tech sector, many immigrants are expected to fill the skilled-labor shortage in that sector. This can be described as brain gain, when a positive effect comes from the migration of high skilled workers.