Egypt asks Libya to release 53 Egyptians harmed by travel visa scams

Asem Meghed, the Egyptian assistant foreign minister for Egyptian affairs abroad, asserted that Egypt is currently following up on the investigations being made by the Libyan authorities into 53 Egyptian citizens who were exposed to fraud by a tourism office that received 30,000 LE from each of them to help them travel to Italy through Libya.

Meghed said the company told them that it would transport them at night on a small boat from the Libyan coast to Italy, yet in the morning they found themselves on the Tunisian shores in the hands of the Tunisian police who expatriated them and handed them over to the Libyan authorities for being brought out of Libya illegally and without a visa.

He added that Egypt is following up on the investigations with the Libyan authorities and whether they will be presented to trial or brought back to Egypt as happened in a similar incident.

Meghed urged the citizens to make sure of having a valid visa for thecountry they are traveling to in the embassy of the country concerned and said they must have a ratified work contract.