CAIRO: At least 83 African migrants were arrested on Wednesday morning by Egyptian border police in the latest attempt by Africans to sneak into Israel. According to local reports, 63 of the migrants are from Ethiopia and the other 20 are from Eritrea. They were arrested in the port city of Suez after allegedly paying local smugglers to take them across the border. The Israeli government reported last week that more than 2,000 African migrants illegally entered the Jewish state in November. The report calls for more action from the Egyptian government to curtail the massive influx of migrants seeking to cross into Israel from the porous Sinai border. An average of 1,200 people have crossed the border every month, with about 1,300 doing so in October. Officials say about 36,000 illegal immigrants from Africa are living in the country. Interior Minister Eli Yishai has proposed a border fence, with several contractors hired for construction so different sections can be built at the same time. “This is a cry for help by the general public,” he said. “Regrettably, we see that the number of infiltrators is only growing.” International and local rights groups have condemned the continued use of violence to stop African migrants, saying the migrants are not a threat to police. Africans in Egypt complain of poor living conditions and bad treatment at the hands of their host nation. Many see Israel as the next best solution for their troubles and are willing to risk death to reach the Jewish state, refugees in Egypt have repeatedly said. Ali, a Somali refugee in Cairo, told Bikya Masr that living in Egypt is “one of the worst things I have experienced in my life.” He points to racism and lack of opportunities as the main hardships. He was the victim of police's heavy hand in Egypt a few years ago when he and two roommates were held in connection with the murder of an elderly man in their building. According to Ali, the two Somali men and one woman were detained for 9 months without charge and were “tortured on a regular basis.” He says life is hard. “I know a lot of people who would rather risk being killed on the border than continue to sit around Cairo and be faced with all these troubles because of our status. We can't even work,” he said. Dozens of Africans have been shot dead by Egyptian police in recent years, as refugees and migrants continue to complain of poor treatment and conditions inside Egypt. BM
