Spanish police have arrested hundreds of illegal immigrants in recent days.

Police said 134 immigrants, mostly Pakistani nationals who arrived in the north of the country in buses and trains from France, were expelled on Wednesday.

In one incident on Wednesday, a group of 97 Pakistanis were arrested on board a train bound for Barcelona from France were arrested. The group were sent back to France.

Others were caught at the border crossings of La Junquera and Portbou, a police spokesman said.

Some were also arrested in cities such as Gerona and Barcelona. Police said the immigrants came to Spain to benefit from the new laws giving foreign workers the same rights as Spanish citizens in health, education and legal services.

Tighter controls

Authorities are now tightening controls of airports and border crossings.

Under the law, which was approved in December, 80,000 illegal immigrants will receive valid working papers by 31 July.

However, immigrants must prove that they have lived in Spain continuously since at least 1 June 1999 and have filed for a residence or work permit or for refugee status during the last three years.

Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union, but a shortage of manual labour has drawn in many in foreign workers, mostly from North Africa and Latin America.