Greece has expelled nearly 3,000 Albanian illegal immigrants since last week, police said Wednesday.

Greece stepped up border patrols last summer and expelled tens of thousands of Albanians after Albania jailed five members of its Greek minority on spying charges. Relations are expected to improve after Greece’s foreign minister visits Albania next month.

Greek officials say as many as 300,000 Albanians may be working illegally in Greece, sending home money that helps to prop up the economy of Europe’s poorest country.

Between Friday and Tuesday, a total of 2,929 Albanians were expelled.