Libya Ousting 19 Britons and 36 Spaniards

Britain said today that Libya has ordered the expulsion of 19 British citizens, and the Spanish Foreign Ministry said 36 Spaniards are being kicked out of Libya because the nations had expelled Libyans last week.

The British Foreign Office said the Libyan government of Moammar Kadafi told five British companies operating in Libya to “expel a certain number of people,” a Foreign Office spokesman said. British companies operating in Libya said they were told to expel 19 workers.

“This is in retaliation for the expulsion of 22 Libyans from this country,” a spokesman for the Foreign Office said. “They apparently spoke to the companies yesterday and told them to have their employees leave within 48 hours.

“It is absolutely arbitrary,” the spokesman said. “In our view there is no justification. There is no parallel for 22 Libyan students deported from this country for national security reasons.”

The 22 Libyans who left Britain last week were deported for allegedly engaging in revolutionary activities.

Tension High Since Raid

Tension has been high between the two countries since Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher allowed the United States to use British bases to launch its April 15 air raid on Libya.

Britain joined the United States in defending the bombing, saying there is conclusive evidence Libya supports terrorism--including the April 5 bombing of a West Berlin nightclub that killed a U.S. soldier and a Turkish woman.

A Spanish Foreign Ministry spokesman said 36 of its nationals, employees of the Ferrovial engineering company, were told Tuesday night to take the first Madrid-bound plane out of Libya.

Spain expelled 11 Libyans--including one diplomat and two embassy employees--April 25 because of their alleged involvement in terrorism. They were ordered to leave by the end of May.

The expulsion of the Libyans from Spain came four days after the nations of the European Communities agreed to reduce the Libyan diplomatic presence in Europe and restrict the movement of Libyan nationals in Europe.