Police figures show that so far this year, 1,602 migrants have breached Israel's borders, said the report, adding that 7,703 illegal migrants entered the country in 2008, up from 5,201 a year earlier.

Some 80 percent of the migrants who arrived over the past two years come from Eritrea, and contrary to popular perception, only a minority of these illegal migrants is Sudanese. Others come from Somalia and Cote d'Ivoire.

In 2006, only 751 illegal migrants crossed into Israel, while 502 arrived in 2005. Most of them entered from Egypt after traveling through the Sinai desert, often led by Bedouin smugglers.

Israel's Southern Police District head, Commander Yohanan Danino, is concerned about the growing crime and violence that police have linked to the migrants, and the lack of solutions to their communal needs in southern Israel.

In May, after receiving requests for assistance from local authority heads, Danino called a meeting with representatives of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), mayors, government officials and welfare workers to discuss ways of dealing with the problem.

Danino believes that as time passes, police will be increasingly involved in dealing with illegal migrants, as unsuccessful job seekers turn to crime and alcohol.

In 2008, 160 recorded criminal offenses committed by illegal migrants took place, while in 2007, 140 incidents were documented.

The IDF has stepped up attempts in recent weeks to return the migrants to their entry points, expelling 122 people from Israel since June, soon after they were caught.