The Security fence near Jerusalem. Photo: Jacob Rask.

JNS.org – Only 34 illegal infiltrations into Israel were reported in the first half of 2013, a dramatic decrease compared to the 9,570 during the same period in the previous year.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the statistics on Monday, explaining that in June 2012 a new law was put in place according to which every illegal migrant worker that entered Israel would be detained. He attributed the significant drop to “the comprehensive work done to deal with the infiltration phenomenon.”

“We are now working on returning the infiltrators who are already here, and we will get results there as well,” Netanyahu said.

In June, Israel Hayom reported that the Israeli government had reached an agreement with an unnamed African nation willing to absorb a portion of the African migrants residing in Israel illegally, according to an affidavit submitted to the High Court of Justice by the prime minister’s chief representative on the matter.