Middle East News
Egyptian police arrest seven African migrants on Israeli border
Mar 20, 2010, 10:28 GMT
Al-Arish, Egypt - Egyptian border guards arrested seven African migrants trying to illegally enter Israel Saturday, in the latest of a line of incidents which has seen the United Nations criticize Cairo for an alleged 'shoot to kill' policy.
Navi Pillay, the United Nation's top human rights official, this month sharply criticised Egypt for using lethal force to stop migrants from crossing illegally into Israel.
Pillay said she knew of 'no other country where so many unarmed migrants and asylum seekers appear to have been deliberately killed.'
Warning shots were fired at the first group of four - who said they were Ethiopians who had paid 1000 dollars to cross the border.
The second group consisted of three Eritreans.
Egypt has been under mounting international pressure to secure to secure its border with Israel and to stop using lethal force to stop migrants from sneaking across the border.
Late last month, border guards said they had fatally shot two African migrants trying to cross the border after the two ignored warning shots and orders to halt.
Such killings suggested a 'shoot-to-kill policy,' Pillay said.
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