The Israeli Ministry of Interior has announced it will grant Temporary Residency (A5 visa) to Sudanese asylum seekers who submitted their asylum applications by June 7, 2025. For over a decade, the Israeli government has deliberately avoided processing the asylum applications of Sudanese individuals—many of whom fled genocide. This new decision follows years of strategic legal battles and landmark court rulings demanding the regulation of their status.
What This Means on the Ground
For people who have lived in Israel for years without basic rights, access to healthcare, or freedom of movement, this status change is deeply personal and life-altering. One Sudanese woman shared with us what this decision means for her family. She hasn’t seen her mother in 15 years, as living in Israel as an asylum seeker meant she had no legal way to travel abroad and safely return. Now, with this new residency status, she will finally be able to obtain an official travel document and fly to see her dying mother before it is too late, giving her a final chance to say goodbye.
“A Crucial Step, But the Fight Continues”
Nimrod Avigal, Deputy Director and Head of the Legal Department at HIAS Israel said, “This decision is a direct result of relentless legal pressure. While we celebrate this breakthrough, which will finally give hundreds of families the stability they deserve, we cannot ignore that the Ministry of Interior is still using temporary measures to avoid its legal obligation: fully examining these claims and recognizing these individuals as refugees.”
Behind the Victory
This breakthrough was achieved thanks to a series of individual appeals pushed forward in recent months. HIAS Israel is incredibly proud of Adv. Michal Pomerantz, a close partner in our work, whose recent legal appeal led directly to this state response. HIAS Israel has also been actively filing parallel legal proceedings to fight for these rights. We will continue to stand with the community and push forward until full rights and official refugee recognition are achieved.
