Egyptian Manpower Minister Mohamed Saafan with his Libyan counterpart Ali Al-Abad as he speaks during a press conference in Cairo on Monday 20 December, 2021. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Ministry of Man power Facebook page.
The system will also facilitate the recruitment of Egyptian workers needed in the labour market of Libya, which is focusing on reconstruction after a decade of turmoil, Saafan said at a press conference organised with his Libyan counterpart Ali Al-Abad in Cairo.
The new mechanism will focus on the prevention of counterfeit, the illegal exploitation of labour importation, and human trafficking in Libya, he said.
Saafan added that Egyptian workers seeking jobs in Libya will only be allowed to travel to the country through the system.
The launch comes months after Egypt had announced in April the formation of a ministerial committee to examine the return of Egyptian workers to Libya, a major hub for Egyptian firms and workers before the 2011 uprisings.
Efforts for reviving bilateral business opportunities came after a top government delegation — comprising Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and 11 ministers — had arrived in Tripoli for talks on development in Libya.
The unprecedented visit is the result of Egypt’s keenness to resume its presence in the neighbouring country following recent developments. Libya elected an executive authority to rule the country until legislative elections, scheduled for this month, are held.
Until 2011, three million Egyptian labourers had been working in Libya, Madbouly had said during his Tripoli visit.
Violence since the uprising in the oil-rich country has scarred businesses and labour, yet efforts to push through with reconstruction continue through the recruitment of workers in neighbouring countries.
In September, Al-Abed announced the launch of the Wafid portal to regulate the flow of foreign labour into Libya.
In an interview with Al-Ahram in September, Al-Abed said the portal would help safeguard workers’ rights by documenting the exact number of workers in the country, their places of work, their specialisation, as well as whether they work for companies or individuals.
Libya is in need of one million Egyptian workers, he said, citing Egypt’s skilled workforce and high demand for Tripoli’s development projects.
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