Egypt on Monday night arrested 69 African migrants attempting to illegally cross into Israel via the Sinai border, a security official said. The migrants hold different nationalities, according to the source, who added that authorities warned and chased the perpetrators before apprehending them. The official said the migrants told interrogators they were seeking job opportunities in Israel, and that they had agreed with traffickers to pay for safe passage. African migration is a common problem for Israel which, on Monday, announced the start of construction work on its new electronic barrier to stem the immigration issue. Israeli statistics suggest more than 150,000 migrants have crossed the Egyptian-Israeli border illegally in the past five years. African migrants are hired on Israeli settlements and farms for cheap wages.
