133 Foreign Nationals Caught Attempting to Illegally Enter Israel So Far This Year
133 foreign nationals, primarily from Georgia, have been apprehended attempting to illegally enter Israel in 2026, with all returned to their countries.
Jerusalem, 2 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Population and Immigration Authority reported that since the start of 2026, 133 foreign passengers, the overwhelming majority from Georgia, have been detained while attempting to infiltrate Israel by bypassing border control.
The authority said the passengers were identified and detained at entry due to the work of border control officers and flown back to their home countries. During the summer months, 54 such passengers were detained, and since the start of September, four additional passengers have already been caught. All were returned to their countries of origin.