Updated

A court document shows that Israel has reached an agreement with an unknown country to which it plans to send thousands of African migrants.

In the document obtained Monday, a state lawyer in a Sunday session told the Israeli Supreme Court that a deal was reached to absorb the migrants but the details were not revealed. Israeli Army Radio reported the country was in east Africa.

Critics warn such a deal cannot guarantee migrants' rights. Israeli officials declined to comment.

Over the past eight years, some 60,000 African migrants have sneaked into Israel from Egypt, some fleeing repressive regimes and others looking for work.

Israel has grappled with how to deal with the influx and has built a fence to keep migrants out.