Egypt crackdown on African migrants hits Eritreans Thu 26 Jun 2008, 11:14 GMT
By Cynthia Johnston
CAIRO, June 26 (Reuters) - When 17 Eritrean migrants crept down from a hillside to a central Egypt highway, after slipping undetected into the most populous Arab country, security forces quickly swept in to pick them up.
The Eritreans, including a baby whose mother died on her journey to Egypt, were snared in a growing Egyptian crackdown on African migrants that has seen up to 1,000 Eritrean asylum seekers deported since June 11 despite U.N. objections. … he Eritreans include Pentecostal Christians fleeing religious persecution who activists say may be drawn to Israel for religious reasons, and others trying to avoid military service. Many are not keen to stay in Egypt, where they face racism and economic marginalisation, rights activists say.
