CAIRO, February 21 (RIA Novosti) - Egyptian authorities have stepped up security along the Israeli border to stop illegal migrants entering Israel, Egypt's official news agency MENA reported on Thursday.
Last year Egyptian border guards detained 656 people trying to illegally enter Israel. Most of the detainees were citizens of Sudan (399) and Eritrea (136). Others were from Nigeria, Somalia, Congo, and Ivory Coast.
Under the new security measures, the number of security services officers on the border has been increased. Additional controls have also been put in place on access to the Sinai Peninsula via the tunnel under the Suez Canal and the road bridge across it.
A total of 70 foreign nationals have been detained on the Egypt-Israel border since the beginning of this year.
