Border Governance and Its Impact on Libyan National Security (An Analytical Study of Transboundary Threats Since 2011)

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of border governance on Libyan national security since 2011 by examining the transformation of borders from lines separating sovereign jurisdictions into complex political, security and economic spaces in which movements of people and goods intersect with organized crime, irregular migration, arms trafficking and resource smuggling. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach, supported by historical, institutional and legal perspectives and by analysis of relevant national and international studies and reports. It concludes that Libya’s border challenge is not explained by geography alone, but also by institutional fragmentation, weak inter-agency coordination and information sharing, uneven technological and human capacities, and the entrenchment of informal border economies. Effective governance therefore requires a unified national border-security vision, institutional coordination, risk- and intelligence-based management, development of border communities, and stronger cooperation with neighboring states, while balancing sovereignty and security with lawful mobility and rights protection.