CAIRO — By supporting the Libyan army, Egypt has shown official interest in the political and security issues in Libya and the fight against extremist jihadist groups and armed militias for reasons related to Egyptian national security. Meanwhile, Egyptians living in Libya, especially Copts and poor laborers, suffer amid ongoing threats made by organizations affiliated with the Islamic State (IS).

The Arab Center for Research and Studies issued a report Feb. 14 on the situation of Egyptian workers in Libya, be they Muslims or Copts. The report fully blames the Egyptian state for the killing of Egyptian workers in Libya, especially Copts, and it explains that the poor people of Port Said city in Egypt top the list of emigrants to Libya. It pointed out that the killing and security threats suffered by Egyptians in Libya — a community about which no official data is available — show the deterioration of Egyptian workers’ conditions in Libya as well as the absence of legislation and safeguards to protect them abroad.

Ever since the Feb. 16 Egyptian airstrike against IS-affiliated forces in the Libyan city of Derna, Egyptians in Libya, especially Copts, have been facing threats from militias that demand the Egyptian state to stop supporting the Libyan army. Egypt’s strike came after 21 Coptic Egyptian workers were slaughtered Feb. 15 by IS elements on the shores of Tripoli.

Bishwa Hanna, a Coptic citizen from the province of Minya, told Al-Monitor, “We are the only ones paying the price of marginalization and the lack of job opportunities. We are chasing our livelihood as armed organizations target Copts in Libya.”