Fifty-five migrants from three different groups were arrested while trying to illegally enter Israel through the Egyptian border, a security source said.
The source said a police patrol spotted 13 migrants near the international mark No. 50 in central Sinai, 26 near the international mark No. 80, and 16 near mark No. 17. All were arrested and are being detained in Arish Prison.
Among the detainees were nationals of Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia, in addition to a man from Algeria.
The source said all detainees confessed they tried to cross into Israel to search for work and each one of them had to pay US$1,500 to find help in reaching Israel.
A large number of migrants coming from various countries in Africa try to illegally enter Israel through the Egypt-Israel border. Many of them are either arrested or shot by border guards.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
