The European Union and the fight against smuggling and trafficking in Libya: balance after the end of operation Sophia

Abstract

This article aims to take stock of the measures that the European Union has put in place to combat smugglers and human traffickers in Libya, at a time when one of the instruments that has played a leading role in this fight, Operation Sophia, has come to an end. The initial hypothesis is that these measures, or at least most of them, which have implied the adoption of policies of clear militarization and externalization, have been controversial and have been questioned since their incorporation, given that their effects not only do not correspond to the stated objectives but raise many doubts in both legal terms and regarding questions of efficiency.