Kenya: Hundreds of foreigners arrested after massive police operation

Source: Missionary International Service News Agency (MISNA)

Hundreds of foreigners have been arrested after a massive police operation conducted in the outskirts of Nairobi during the night, continuing until the early hours of the day.

Local media said that the police entered some of the Nairobi suburbs - Eastleigh, Pangani and 'South C' - arresting, according to an official account, at least 346 foreign nationals who were charged with illegally entering the country. Some sources, however, said that the number of those arrested is actually much higher.

Most of those arrested are Somalis, though there are also dozens of Ethiopians.

If the police continues to explain last night's operation as a turning of the screw against illegal migration, some have linked the arrests with the two attacks against the police that took place last Friday in the suburb of Eastleigh (where there are many Somali residents). Three officers were killed in those attacks.