Egyptian border guards managed to arrest seven African migrants yesterday without killing any of them. Since January 2008 more than 60 people have died at the hands of border guards while trying to cross illegally into Israel.

Earlier this month Navi Pillay, the United Nation's top human rights official, accused Egypt of operating a shoot-to-kill policy. "I know of no other country where so many unarmed migrants and asylum seekers appear to have been deliberately killed in this way by government forces," she said.

Yesterday, the guards reportedly fired warning shots at four Ehtiopians before arresting them. Three Eritreans were also captured alive.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 21 March 2010.