Shlomo Mor Yosef
Shlomo Mor YosefFlash 90

Professor Shlomo Mor-Yosef, Director-General of the Population and Immigration Authority, responded Tuesday to criticism of Israel's decision to remove a Filipino worker and her son, who was born in Israel, from the country.

"In this specific case, women decided that it's better here than in the Philippines," he told Kan Bet. "They know that this is illegal. I don't expect that a mother would put her child in a situation like this. I don't understand why she needs to drag him through legal processes."

Rosemarie Perez and her 13-year-old son have been in Israel illegally for 12 years.

They are among some 600 workers from the Philippines who have lost residency status.

Filipino workers who receive residency status agree not to start families in Israel. Doing so constitutes a breach of the conditions of their residency.