Legal and Political Transformations in Libya in Light of International Law and International Relations: An Analytical Study of Sovereignty, Intervention, Migration, and Corruption

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the legal and political transformations in Libya in light of international law and international relations, with particular emphasis on issues of sovereignty, international intervention, irregular migration, and institutional corruption. The study is based on the central hypothesis that the Libyan crisis after 2011 can no longer be regarded merely as a domestic political crisis. Rather, it has evolved into a complex situation in which legal, political, security, and international factors intersect, thereby affecting the Libyan state’s ability to exercise its sovereignty, build effective institutions, and achieve stability.

The study adopts the descriptive-analytical method, the legal-analytical method, and the case study approach, while making limited use of the comparative method where necessary. It also draws on an integrated theoretical framework combining realism, liberalism, and constructivism, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the interaction among power and interests, international institutions, identity, and legitimacy in the Libyan context. A separate section is devoted to analyzing United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning Libya, as they constitute one of the most significant approaches to understanding the impact of international law on the course of the Libyan crisis.

The study concludes that Libyan sovereignty continues to exist from a legal perspective; however, it has been significantly weakened in practice due to political division, the multiplicity of centers of power, institutional fragility, and the intervention of external actors. The findings further demonstrate that irregular migration and institutional corruption are not merely two separate phenomena. Rather, they are direct consequences of state weakness and, at the same time, factors that further complicate the political and legal crisis. The study recommends establishing a consensual constitutional framework, unifying state institutions, strengthening judicial independence, combating corruption, regulating external intervention, and adopting a comprehensive national strategy to address irregular migration based on both security considerations and respect for human rights.