CAIRO: Libya has imposed restrictions on Egyptians trying to enter the country, limiting access solely to those from the border towns and with tribal links, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
The sudden move by the government of Libyan leader Col. Moammar Qaddafi came just a few weeks after Egyptian workers clashed with locals in the western Libyan desert town of Beni Walid.
The [new] instructions are that only those who were born in Matrouh and have work contracts can enter into the Libyan territories, Hossam Zaki, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said in a statement, referring to the Egyptian province bordering Libya.
All other Egyptians traveling to Libya will be faced with strict visa requirements, the statement said, adding that diplomats are in contact with the Libyan authorities to see how much it affects the Egyptian workers in Libya.
Officials at the Libyan embassy declined to comment.
Border officials said that hundreds of Egyptian workers have already been turned away since the abrupt imposition of the new restrictions on Wednesday night.
Everybody who is not from Matrouh has been sent back, an official at Salloum border crossing said.
Another official said some 600 Egyptians who spent their summer holiday at home and were on their way back to return to their jobs in Libya are now stranded on the Salloum border crossing. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.
The Egyptian Ministry of Labor estimates that about one million Egyptians work in Libya mostly in low income, manual labor jobs.
Egyptians rely heavily on work outside their country and Tripoli periodically imposes travel restrictions depending on the state of its relations with Cairo.
In mid-August, hundreds of Egyptian workers fought with members of an influential Libyan tribe in Beni Walid following an argument between a laborer and a tribal member.
In the ensuing clashes several homes were burned down and seven Egyptians were briefly detained. Associated Press
