Thousands of migrants detained trying to enter HK

BEIJING

China has arrested hundreds of migrants trying to illegally sneak into Hong Kong from the Chinese mainland in an effort to find work.

State news agency Xinhua reported Thursday that Mainland and Hong Kong police had seized 2943 illegal border crossers in a joint operation Wednesday.

The Ministry of Public Security said the arrests took place in an effort to crack down on a growing human trafficking problem.

Xinhua reported that 2860 of those arrested were from Southeast Asia, while 83 were from South Asia.

Each year thousands of migrants attempt to enter the economic promise of Hong Kong -- a south China business hub.