Driver's Licenses for Asylum Seekers
- ACRI
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
On December 31, 2024, ACRI, together with five asylum seekers and the organizations HIAS, ASSAF, and the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, petitioned the Supreme Court demanding that the Minister of Transportation and the Ministry of Transportation allow asylum seekers with Israeli residency permits to learn to drive and obtain a driver’s license.
The petition argues that in the 21st century, driving a vehicle is not a luxury but an essential need, particularly in a country where public transportation is unreliable and does not run overnight or during weekends and holidays. Blocking asylum seekers from obtaining driver's licenses violates the rights to freedom of movement, freedom of occupation, the right to dignity, and access to healthcare.
The Ministry of Transportation justified its refusal to allow asylum seekers to drive by citing difficulties in identification and law enforcement, and their commitment to government policies regarding "infiltrators." The petition counters that the difficulty in identifying asylum seekers no longer exists due to the use of biometric data, and that moreover, after issues of driver identification and law enforcement capabilities are resolved, the Ministry of Transportation no longer needs to take into consideration the legal status of driver’s license applicants. Furthermore, the Ministry of Transportation's policy contradicts the obligation of a public authority to act reasonably and fairly, and to exercise its discretion in making decisions absent irrelevant, arbitrary, and discriminatory considerations that infringe on human rights.
On July 9, 2026, following a hearing, the Supreme Court issued a conditional order and ordered the State to explain why asylum seekers who have been living in Israel for many years should not be allowed to obtain a driver's license.
Supreme Court 80653-12-24 Tsagargavi v. Minister of Transportation and Road Safety
Attorneys: Tal Hassin (ACRI), Michal Pomerantz
The petition, December 31, 2024 (Heb)
Response from the State, June 2026 (Heb)
The decision (conditional order), July 9, 2026 (Heb)
For articles and previous legal correspondence written in Hebrew about this case, see here.
