Centri di detenzione in Libia: responsabilità, complicità e prospettive di giustizia internazionale nella governance multilivello dei diritti umani

This thesis explores the human rights violations taking place in Libya’s detention centers, with a particular focus on the legal and moral responsibilities of the various actors involved in their functioning. Since the breakdown of state authority in 2011, Libya has become a major transit country for people on the move towards Europe. In this context, detention centers—often managed by non-state groups with limited official oversight—have been consistently reported as places where serious abuses occur, including arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, and forced labor. Adopting a multilevel governance perspective, the research looks at how Libyan authorities, European Union institutions, individual EU member states, and international organizations contribute—directly or indirectly—to the persistence of these practices. Special attention is given to the EU’s strategy of externalizing migration control and its collaboration with Libyan actors, raising important questions of complicity under international law. Drawing on international legal principles such as state responsibility, complicity, and the duty to protect human rights, the thesis examines whether and how external actors could be held accountable for violations happening inside Libya. It also discusses the possible avenues for justice, including international criminal mechanisms and human rights litigation at regional or global level. The research shows that the current model of migration governance risks violating basic rights and enables powerful actors to avoid accountability. The thesis ends by suggesting reforms to improve transparency, strengthen oversight, and support international justice mechanisms that could help address cross-border involvement in human rights abuses.