Jiddeh (Sunatimes) Saudi police have intercepted and returned over 400 illegal Somali immigrants to Yemen, where they were trying to cross the border into Saudi Arabia, reports say.

Police manning the border between the two countries reportedly intercepted the immigrants and later returned them back to Al-Kharaz refugee camp in Yemen.

The immigrants were taking advantage of Muslim Holidays like the recent Eid-al-Adha to cross to the Saudi side of the border but their attempt was thwarted by Saudi police.

Police seized the largest number of illegal Somali immigrants since Somali youths fleeing civil war in the country started making a deadly trip to Saudi Arabia via the Indian Ocean and Yemen in search of better life.

Somali consul in Sana'a Adan Hussein Hajji told Bar-kulan that Somali immigrants usually take opportunity of the Eids and other Muslim holy months to cross to Saudi Arabia.

He said the returned immigrants are now back into Al-Kharaz refugee camp housing over 16,000 Somali refugees who fled their country after the fall of Somalia’s central government in 1991.

The refugees were joined by hundreds of others who are trying to cross to Saudi Arabia to look for jobs and better life.

Sahra Abdi