Smuggling is booming in Libya despite increased EU naval patrols

Europe is losing the fight against human smuggling from Libya, senior researcher Hans Lucht argues in this new DIIS Impact. At a time when the Mediterranean Sea has never been more closely patrolled and watched, more people than ever are dying or disappearing at sea.

One challenge is that Libya’s UN-backed government is struggling to provide basic stability for its own population and therefore has few resources to assist Europe with its anti-immigration agenda. Libya has a long list of priorities that must be met before the country can combat the smuggling rings. Even then, Libya will make significant financial and political demands of Europe, Hans Lucht argues.

The DIIS Impact predicts a reduction in the number of migrants and refugees coming to Europe in the winter. But unless Europe tackles the current flows of people in a novel way, there will be a spike in arrivals and deaths in the spring of 2017.