JERUSALEM: The Israeli government on Sunday gave final approval for the construction of a barrier along the border with Egypt in a bid to curb the entry of illegal immigrants.
A cabinet statement said the barrier along the 250-kilometer desert frontier would cost around $365 million, and would comprise fencing and other unspecified technological measures.
Sunday s decision was the final stamp of approval for a project first approved in January by a subcommittee.
The Israel-Egypt border has become a major transit route for economic migrants, asylum-seekers and drug smugglers, and Israel has asked Egypt to clamp down on the traffic.
Egyptian border guards often shoot at African migrants who pay smugglers for passage into Israel to escape poverty and look for work, and many have been killed. -AFP
