Local specificities of migration in Libya : challenges and solutions

Abstract

Although the number of migrants attempting to illegally cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Europe decreased in mid-2017, current policies aimed at curbing flows do not address local concerns and challenges, and are therefore unlikely to prove successful in the mid- to long-term. This fieldwork-based research paper analyses migrant smuggling networks in Libya at the local level to answer the question: what policy responses could result in a sustainable reduction of illegal migration to and through Libya? By analysing the very different profiles of smuggling networks in Libya’s southern, central and coastal regions, particularly in terms of the actors involved and their connections to wider society, this paper suggests possible entry points for more successful long-term policies.