From the moment Israel started bringing migrant workers into the country, the import of migrant workers was privatized and contracted by private manpower agencies. Kav LaOved conducted a survey in March 2013, with data from 835 migrant workers who arrived in Israel with a work visa for the caregiving field, between 2007 and 2013. This survey indicates constantly increasing brokerage fees that caregivers are required to pay in order to arrive in Israel.

The essence of the problem was stated by Advocate Rebecca Makover, former manager of the Licensing Department at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor (MOITAL), during a discussion at the Knesset's Foreign Workers Committee on December 28, 2009:

By and large, the key to bringing foreign workers is money. This means that every foreign worker arriving in Israel is charged, depending on the state of origin. It could be $5,000 or $7,000 in Europe, $10,000 in the Philippines, a bit more in Thailand but, in general, these are the brokerage fees. Now, no foreign worker can arrive in Israel without paying these brokerage fees; it is even called judicial notice… There is no question that brokerage fees are collected from every foreign worker while still abroad. The proof is that every foreign worker pays a brokerage fee, no exception, otherwise he won't arrive in Israel.

More information:

• Black Money, Black Labor - Collection of Brokerage Fees from Migrant Caregivers in Israel
• Caregivers Call for Ratification of Convention 189