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Tripoli, 28 August:
Moroccan workers who fled Libya during the Revolution are now preparing to return to the country to seek employment.
During . . .[restrict]a recent diplomatic visit to Morocco, the Labour Minister Mustafa Rugibani was reported by North African online newspaper Magharebia as saying that there is a high demand for Moroccan labour in Libya. He added that the country’s doors are open to Moroccan workers.
Rugibani said measures were being put in place to improve working conditions and procedures and protect the rights of these workers. It was also agreed that a partnership of Libyan and Moroccan officials would address issues such as detained or missing expatriates as well as property lost during the Revolution.
The Moroccan Minister of Labour and Vocational training, Abdelouahed Souhail, said that Moroccan workers could play a part in the economic and social development of the new Libya.
Libyan Economy Minister Ahmed Salem Alkoshil said that the partnership between the countries should extend to the business, saying that Libya is also opening its doors to investment by Moroccan businessmen.
It is estimated that before the Revolution there were some 100,000 Moroccan workers in Libya, many of whom fled the country last year.
The economic crisis in Europe, especially in Spain, has also sent many expatriate workers back to Morocco where job opportunities are limited in Morocco. The promise of official support for workers could make Libya a more attractive option for Moroccan job-hunters. [/restrict]
