In a letter to the Immigration Police commander, the human rights organizations described the plan as offensive to the basic rights and honor of foreign workers. "The taking of fingerprints is a particularly sensitive social issue as fingerprints are normally taken from criminals and suspects," said the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Kav LaOved hotline, and the Hotline for Migrant Workers.

"Relating to a whole group as suspects degrades its members and discriminates against it in relation to other groups in society," they wrote.

Hana Zohar, director of Kav LaOved, said foreign workers are unaware that for now they may refuse to have their fingerprints taken, because a legal amendment is still pending.