Cairo  - Egyptian border guards arrested 12 African migrants in the Sinai near the Israeli border on Saturday, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.

The group included three men and nine women of Sudanese, Eritrean and Ethiopian nationality. They were arrested while attempting to cross into Israel.

Like many African migrants, the group was hoping to gain asylum and jobs in Israel. Local human traffickers are believed to charge migrants up to 5,000 dollars each to aid their illegal entry across the desert border.

According to Egyptian security sources, more than 600 illegal migrants, most of them Africans, have been arrested so far in 2008. (dpa)