According to the proposed resolution, locally-born children of foreign workers from the age of 10 and up, who have been enrolled in the state school system "and have established roots in Israeli society and culture," will receive permanent residence permits.

Pines-Paz estimates that about 2,000 children meet the criteria, and their parents and younger siblings will receive temporary residence permits that can be renewed annually.

Upon reaching the age of 21 and being released from Israel Defense Forces service, the children will be able to become Israeli citizens. By virtue of their children's army service, the parents would be entitled to permanent resident status as well, which would allow them to hold normal jobs and receive medical insurance and other social benefits.

The proposed resolution stipulates that naturalization of the children of foreign workers is conditional upon their parents' being able to present documents at Population Registry offices confirming that their initial entry to the country was legal. The proposed resolution is being called a "one-time-only arrangement, for the time being," that will expire at the end of the year.

Pines-Paz will present the other committee members - MKs Shalom Simhon, Abraham Hirchson, Matan Vilnai, Poraz, Meir Sheetrit, Tzipi Livni, Gideon Ezra and Natan Sharansky - with figures compiled by the Population Registry, which show that currently there are 2,750 children of foreign workers between the ages of 10 and 18 living here.

The Population Registry director, Sassi Katzir, said there are a further 5,500 parents who would be eligible for temporary resident status, bringing the total number of people who would be affected by the proposal to at least 8,250.