A group of Copts who went missing in Libya were detained by the authorities over their immigration status, Open Doors has said.

The Copts, originally from Egypt, disappeared on 30  September, giving rise to concerns that they may have been taken by militants.

Some feared they might suffer the same fate as the 21 Coptic victims of a 2015 ISIS massacre in Libya. 

Open Doors says its partner in Egypt has spoken with a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Egypt, who has confirmed that the Copts were detained by the Libyan authorities as illegal immigrants.

In total, 525 Egyptians, both Muslim and Christian, were taken into custody by the Libyan authorities over suspicions about their immigration status. 

Open Doors understands that around 40 Copts were taken in by the authorities.

The MFA representative told Open Doors' partner that the Copts were detained as part of this group because they had entered Libya through Turkey, which both have a strained relationship with each other at present.

The Egyptian official said the Libyan authorities are now carrying out security checks on the Copts but confirmed that they would be released and repatriated to Egypt once these were completed.