Egyptians held in Libya with fake visas

Libyan Herlad

Egyptians with fake travel documents are continuing to try and arrive and work in Libya. The latest group to be nabbed was sent home from Misrata yesterday. The 55 Egyptians were all reported to have had fake Libyan visas.

Since the early days of the revolution, Cairo-based forgers have been selling bogus work and entry visas and Libyan passports. One gang arrested by Egyptian police in Giza used the false documents as part of an illegal recruitment scam.

While the flow of Egyptians without genuine papers may well have diminished with the rising violence of recent months, it is clear that it has not stopped. This summer an entire plane-load of would-be workers arrived in Sebha on an Egyptian flight from Alexandria. All were found to have fake travel documents and were sent back immediately on the same aircraft.