TUNISIA - Those behind the popular protest movement in Egypt may be basking in success but compatriots fleeing the uprising they inspired in Libya are in no mood to discuss democracy. Thousands of Egyptian labourers have been pouring into Tunisia from Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi has vowed to crush a revolt closing in on him. Many poor Egyptians spent years working in fields or on construction sites to support families back home. Some dreamed of saving enough to buy a home, or put their children through college. To Egyptian labourers, Libya was a wealthy oil-producing country that could provide jobs and Gaddafi's iron-fisted rule did not figure in the equation. Now they are stranded in a border town, oblivious to the uprisings across the Arab world that are capturing the world's attention and doubtful that the new Egypt can help them. "People like us don't really spend a lot of time thinking about revolutions. We just worry about being able to send enough money to our loved ones every month," said Mohammad Sayed, a 27-year-old migrant worker from southern Egypt. "All I know is the revolution better give me a job when I get home." The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the world's largest disaster relief agency, said on Saturday about 25,000 people had crossed into Tunisia from Libya to escape the violence. Life in Libya had become unbearable for Egyptians. Migrant workers said they had been attacked by pro-government thugs with machetes and clubs after a speech by Gaddafi's son in which he blamed the revolt on foreigners. Many were too terrified to leave their homes. Egyptians were suddenly perceived as troublemakers because their country's upheaval had emboldened Libyans to try and topple Gaddafi, Reuters reported. "These gangs attacked us. They said Egyptians were causing all the problems," said Youssef Saeed, holding a sandwich handed out by Tunisian volunteers working long hours to accommodate the stream of Egyptians crossing the frontier. "They call us Egyptian dogs." The threat of being attacked has gone, but Egyptian labourers who enjoyed stable and steady work now face uncertainty. "What am I going to do in Egypt? I have no idea how I will support my family," said Ahmed Mohammad, a farmer who supports an extended family of 11. "What is the revolution doing for me?". He and other Egyptians stood beside large suitcases they carried on their backs across the border. Others used ropes to try and balance their blankets on pickup trucks. Occasional outbursts highlighted the desperation. "I heard that Egyptian ministers had ordered 39 planes to come and pick us up and that a ship would be here. Where are they? What is the new government doing for us?," yelled one man as an angry crowd looked on.
