Foreign Ministry: 1100 Africans sneak into Israel monthly

Average of illegal migrants infiltrating border with Egypt jumps from 350 per month last year as construction of long planned fence yet to begin.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS, JPOST.COM STAFF
The number of African economic migrants and asylum seekers sneaking into Israel has leaped this year, Interior Ministry spokesperson Sabine Haddad said on Monday
Haddad said that a monthly average of 1,100 people are slipping into Israel through its southern border with Egypt. She said last year's average monthly number was 350 people.
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Sigal Rozen, an advocate for the migrants, said the Africans are trying to rush in before Israel begins building a fence on its border with Egypt that will make it more difficult for them to enter.
Work on the fence is expected to begin this month, but the project has already been delayed several times.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu originally called for the construction of a fence to keep out illegal African infiltrators in January.
There are at least 17,000 illegal African migrants and asylum seekers in Israel in addition to 120,000 foreigners with expired work permits.