TEL AVIV – Israel’s southern barrier proves 100 percent effective in preventing infiltration with a new report issued Sunday by the country’s Population and Immigration Authority showing that not a single person managed to get in the country illegally in the past 12 months.

In 2015, 220 managed to infiltrate Israel’s border with Egypt and the year after only 18 were successful.

Authorities say this year’s number is down to the fence the Jewish state built along the border with Egypt in recent years.

Over the past 12 months, Israel deported 2,431 people who infiltrated the border illegally, including 2,245 Eritreans and 186 Sudanese, the report said.

Last month, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the state may deport illegal migrants to a third country with consent, but added that the government cannot detain those who refuse to go for more than 60 days.

According to the African Refugee Development Center, some 46,437 Africans have sought asylum in Israel. The majority, 73%, are from Eritrea, and around 19% are from Sudan. Israeli authorities maintain that there are 40,000 illegal migrants in Israel, most of whom are economic illegal immigrants and not refugees seeking sanctuary.