More than three times as many immigrants were detained by border-control police in Guangdong province this month for attempting to enter the country illegally, compared with the number a year ago.

The provincial border-control department said on Thursday they had detained 1,178 foreigners since Feb 1, representing a 327 percent surge from the same period last year.

Meanwhile, 48 people were caught by Hong Kong police over the same period, down 70 percent year-on-year, thanks to increased cooperation between the two sides.

All the immigrants came from Southeast Asia. Many of them have relatives or friends that live in China and were attempting to find work in Guangdong or Hong Kong.

“Enticed by local traffickers, the foreigners risked illegal immigration, which could have endangered their lives and posed a threat to the social security of Guangdong and Hong Kong,” said Zhao Quanhong, a senior official with the border-control department.