Hundreds More Egyptians Get Boot From Libya

About 400 Egyptian workers expelled by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi have arrived at this desert border point, and many have complained of bad treatment by Libyan security men.

Border officials said Saturday that the recent arrivals were the largest group of Egyptians since Gadhafi decided to expel foreign workers nearly six weeks ago.

Several thousand Egyptian workers have returned home, but hundreds of thousands more are believed to remain. Gadhafi’s government also has expelled thousands of Sudanese and Palestinians.

In Cairo, Egyptian and Libyan officials opened talks Saturday on the situation of Egyptians in neighboring Libya. Many Egyptians travel to oil-rich Libya and other wealthy Mideast countries for well-paying jobs.

Mustapha Abdel-Azziz, an Egyptian assistant foreign minister, told the Middle East News Agency the talks would last three days.

Libyan officials have denied that deportees are mistreated and said the expulsions were intended to reorganize the labor market in Libya.