JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel began construction of a new barrier along its border with Egypt.
Engineers were scheduled to fan out along Israel’s southern border Monday and prepare the ground for the construction of the barrier and electronic fence.
The nearly $375 million project is being undertaken in order to prevent migrant workers from entering Israel, as well as to deter terrorists and drug smugglers.
Large parts of the border between Israel and Egypt are demarcated with fencing. The new barrier will be constructed first along the main infiltration routes near Gaza and Eilat, and will include two layers of fencing, including barbed wire.
Hundreds of illegal migrants from Africa enter Israel each week. Nearly 11,000 have entered Israel since January, according to Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority. Most are searching for work, though a couple hundred asylum seekers have been granted refugee status in recent years.
Dozens of migrants, who pay smugglers thousands of dollars to help them cross the border from Egypt into Israel, have been shot and killed by Egyptian soldiers.
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