05/03/2007
Libya's Secretary of Manpower and Training Mautoq Mohammed Mautoq on Sunday (March 4th) announced an extension to the deadline given to illegal migrant workers to arrange their work and health papers, delaying it until the end of the month. In a move to harden its regulations against illegal immigrants earlier this year, Libya warned people who employ illegal foreigners of strict penalties and set February as the deadline for settling workers’ legal status. According to official statistics, there are 700,000 foreigners working in Libya. Of these, only 36,000 have work permits, and just 60,000 are seeking legal approval. To adhere to the new regulations, thousands of Egyptian workers left Libya last week due to a lack of necessary documents. Most Egyptians in Libya work in agriculture and construction, or manage new businesses set up by Libyans. (Ljbc.net, News24)