The interministerial committee has asked for data on the number of children of foreign workers studying in the school system. Poraz intends to allow children aged eight and older who were born in Israel or have lived here most of their lives to obtain Israeli citizenship status.

According to Education Ministry data, 1,040 foreign children from second through 12th grades are studying in the school system. Since the interministerial committee will allow the foreign worker parents of these children to obtain citizenship, at least until their draft into the Israel Defense Forces, it will be up to the committee to coordinate the status of the 3,100 children and their parents.

According to Education Ministry data, the majority of the children - 534 - study in Tel Aviv, with 277 in Jerusalem, 95 in schools in the nation's center and 52 in the south.

Poraz said during a meeting of the Knesset committees for education and children of foreign workers that "permanent status must be granted to the children of foreign workers who are age eight to 10 who were born in Israel or who have lived here most of their lives."

Since the interministerial committee for population affairs began debating the issue, the Interior Ministry has been deporting neither the children of foreign workers who study in the country's school system nor their parents. He said this directive will remain in effect until the committee makes a final decision on the issue.

The interministerial committee has not yet reached a decision since Poraz must first reach a decision with Labor and Social Affairs Minister Zevulun Orlev on the number of children involved in the ruling.