Eurasia Press & News
ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) – Egyptian police shot dead a Sudanese man as he tried to sneak across the border to Israel on Wednesday, bringing to 19 the number of migrants killed at the frontier this year, medical and security sources said.
Haroun Mohamed Yehya Haroun, 24, died of gunshot wounds to the head. The sources, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said he was shot after he ignored orders to stop.
Police arrested two other Sudanese crossing at the same time, one of whom was hurt by barbed wire.
Border violence has escalated since Egypt launched a crackdown on African migrants in recent months. As well as the Africans, police have killed an Egyptian smuggler at the border this year, and gunmen shot dead a police officer last month.
Egypt also deported up to 1,000 jailed Eritrean asylum seekers in June despite U.N. protests.
Amnesty International says thousands of migrants try to cross into the Jewish state from Egypt each year, with numbers rising since 2007.
The migrants are seeking work or asylum away from conflict at home and harsh living conditions in Egypt, where activists say African migrants face economic marginalization and racism.
