United Arab Emirate deports Iranians

United Arab Emirates border and coast guards have seized a group of 20 Iranians and Afghans who tried to sneak into the oil-rich Gulf country, a newspaper reported on July 15.

The 14 Iranians and 6 Afghans came by sea on Sunday night and crossed mountains near the Omani border south of the Strait of Hormuz into the eastern city of Fujairah. They face imprisonment and deportation.

The United Arab Emirates last year enforced stiffer immigration laws aimed at stopping attempts by Asians fleeing poverty at home. The measures followed the departure of 200,000 illegal immigrants after they were granted an amnesty.

Police say the new laws have helped reduce infiltration.