The European Union’s approach towards combatting organised crime in post-Ghaddafi Libya

Abstract

This dissertation critically examines the European Union’s (EU) approach to combatting organised crime in post-Ghaddafi Libya, interrogating its strategies, outcomes, and unintended consequences. Through a case study methodology and thematic analysis of secondary data— including EU policy documents, institutional reports, and empirical evidence from the Global Organized Crime Index—the study evaluates the interplay between the EU’s externalised migration governance, security-driven interventions, and Libya’s fragmented political landscape. The findings reveal that the EU’s reliance on border externalisation, epitomised by agreements such as the Italy-Libya Memorandum of Understanding and capacity-building initiatives under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), has prioritised short-term migration containment over sustainable governance reforms. While operational successes include disrupting some trafficking routes and enhancing surveillance, these efforts have inadvertently reinforced Libya’s hybrid governance structures, where militias and state-embedded actors exploit EU resources to monopolise illicit economies. The EU’s securitised approach has also exacerbated human rights violations, with migrants subjected to systemic abuse in EU-funded detention centres and interdiction operations led by the Libyan Coast Guard. The study underscores the limitations of the EU’s intergovernmental decision-making, which privileges member state interests in migration control over coherent, rights-based strategies. Empirical analysis demonstrates persistent or escalating criminal markets, including human smuggling and cocaine trafficking, alongside the growing influence of foreign mercenary networks. The dissertation concludes that the EU’s failure to address Libya’s governance vacuum and root causes of instability perpetuates cycles of crime and insecurity. It advocates for a recalibrated approach integrating anti-corruption measures, judicial reforms, and socioeconomic development to dismantle the criminal ecosystems entrenched in Libya’s fractured state institutions.