Israel detains 200 African immigrants

Zionist regime's police have arrested more than 200 illegal African immigrants during a sweep of a working class district of Tel Aviv.

According to Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, the raids took place on Monday in the neighborhood around the Mediterranean city's old central bus station, AFP reported on Tuesday.

Some 240 asylum-seekers had been detained, most of whom were from Eritrea, but some were from Ivory Coast, The Haaretz newspaper said.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered Sunday that all "infiltrators" who lacked UN certification as refugees be deported by the end of the week.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said earlier this month that more than 1,500 Africans, mostly from Eritrea, had entered Israel illegally through Egypt since the start of the year.

Last year, Israeli authorities said illegal immigration surged to around 4,000 people, or some four times more than a previous annual average.