The issue of the Maltese workers who were sent back from Libya on landing there, has been immediately addressed and has received a "willing ear from the Libyan side", the Maltese ambassador in Tripoli, Richard Vella Laurenti said yesterday.

The matter was considered to be "important" and has been looked into and "taken care of" by the Maltese Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr Vella Laurenti said.

However, there have been no developments so far, the ministry said when contacted.

Twenty-one Maltese, most of whom worked on construction and technical projects, were recently sent back to Malta as soon as they landed in Tripoli, for which the government was seeking an explanation.

Until yesterday, there had been no official explanation from the Libyan side.

It was believed that the decision to send the workers back had not been taken by the Libyan government, but was an arbitrary decision by the Libyan immigration authorities, thought to be irritated by the fact that a substantial number of Libyans were recently declared illegal immigrants in Malta and sent back to Tripoli.

Mr Vella Laurenti said the 21 workers included those representing long-established companies in Libya, and individuals who went there in search of business. It was not a case of singling out those who worked for companies in Libya, he said.