CAIRO: In a sign of no calm to border violence in the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian police shot and killed an African migrant on Tuesday as he attempted to enter Israel. The killing is the 17th by police since May and the second in two weeks as rights groups continue to cry foul over the Egyptian government's use of force to stop Africans from entering Israel. At Israel's insistence, Cairo has boosted efforts to maintain some semblance of control over the lengthy desert border between Egypt, Gaza and Israel. Hundreds of migrants have illegally entered the Jewish state this year, despite the crackdown by Egyptian security forces. Sinai has become one of the main transit routes for African migrants and refugees, almost all unarmed, who are looking to Israel as a place for work and asylum. Many refugees living in Egypt complain of poor treatment by the government and say Israel, even with the risk of death, is a better place than staying in Egypt. Migrants can pay Bedouin smugglers up to $500 in order to help them traverse the unmarked territory, but with the upsurge in violence, the price is expected to continue to rise. “We will pay it, because it is better than staying here,” said Ali, a Somali refugee living in Cairo. He says he speaks regularly with friends who have made the dangerous journey into Israel and are now working. “It just makes sense. We have nothing here, so why not try,” he adds. Security source reported that police did not know the dead man's nationality, but was in his 20s. Eritreans are the largest group of people trying to cross into Israel from Egypt, but Ethiopians and Sudanese are also making the trek as life, they say, continues to deteriorate in Egypt for refugees and Africans. BM
