Strategic Lessons Learned from Libya: EU-Libya Deal and Its Outcomes

Abstract

The migration flow from northern African countries and the resulting overcrowding of detention centres in Italy has jumpstarted a wave of cooperation between Italy and Libya, the latter being a transit point to Europe for many Sub-Saharan countries. This situation has led to the emergence of a policy aimed at reducing crossings from Libya to Italy at any cost. The Italy-Libya Deal concluded between the Italian Prime Minister Gentiloni and Fayez al-Serraj, Head of the UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord, focuses on short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals include saving lives at sea and in the desert; dismantling traffickers’ and smugglers’ networks; facilitating the return of those who are not entitled to stay; and opening legal ways to Europe for people in need of protection. As for the long-term goals, the deal generally addresses the root causes of irregular migration and focuses on externalizing migration control mechanisms. Some connected the decrease in migrant arrivals in Italy in the summer of 2017 to the deal which might, however, have some dire consequences for its ‘beneficiaries’.