Gov't hopes plan costing approximately NIS 1.35 billion will stem flow of illegal migrants into country; work expected to take up to a year.
By YAAKOV KATZsudanese at fence 311(photo credit: Channel 10)
After months of planning, bulldozers will take to the sand dunes along Israel’s border with Egypt on Monday to begin constructing a barrier which the government hopes will stem the flow of illegal migrants into the country.The Defense Ministry said that dozens of bulldozers will begin work along the border on Monday under a plan that will cost the country approximately NIS 1.35 billion.RELATED:'Egypt is seeking a cell of 7 terrorists in Sinai'Al-Qaida may use refugee influx to infiltrate IsraelThe border will be closed in part by a physical barrier bolstered by electronic sensors.The work is expected to take up to a year.Earlier in November Interior Ministry spokesperson Sabine Haddad announced that the number of African economic migrants and asylum seekers sneaking into Israel has leaped this year.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.JPost.com staff and Associated Press contributed to this report.
