The government has begun to extend its marketing efforts to a new sector: that of new immigrants who land at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

This month the Absorption Ministry began to further its connection with new immigrants by providing the newcomers with “free minutes” upon their arrival in the country, joining the Orange, Cellcom and Pelephone cellular phone companies in providing new “olim” with a SIM card for mobile phones they have in their possession.

The cards are distributed according to the ability of the individuals to use them in their personal cell phones, ministry officials said.

Each SIM card contains 200 free minutes for conversation to any location in the country for the personal use of the immigrant to whom it is given.

The project, said ministry officials, is part of the ministry’s efforts to encourage immigrants to remain in contact with absorption representatives in their communities whenever they have questions, in order to ease the absorption process.

“We are talking about the continuation of the revolution in services to new immigrants arriving in Israel, emphasizing personal contact,” said Absorption Minister MK Sofa Landver. “The connection between a new immigrant and the Ministry during the first few days in the country is critical, and crucial to ongoing successful absorption in employment, housing and learning the Hebrew language.”

Maintaining contact with the new immigrants and helping them get through the integration process into a new culture, language and routine, said ministry officials, is “the foundation of their work.”