A Generation on the Move: Libya's Ongoing Brain Drain 15 Years After the Fall of Tripoli

Sarah Mizran, an architect who left Libya to continue her education, has no plans to return. Living in London, United Kingdom, the 32-year-old architect reflects on a time when she was just a teenager when Tripoli fell in August 2011, as opposition fighters swept into the capital. It marked the beginning of the end for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who, after ruling for 42 years, was soon captured and killed near Sirte.

Eight years ago, Mizran left the city for the United Kingdom. “Libya loses more than just skills when young professionals leave,” she told Al Jazeera. “It loses a sense of possibility when an entire generation grows up feeling that they have to leave in order to build a future, and that leads to a loss of hope in the country itself.” For individuals like Mizran, the battle set in motion a departure that continues to unfold 15 years later.

Drawn to the concept of sustainable architecture and what it could mean for Libya, Mizran pursued a master’s degree in architecture in southern England. “Leaving was a decision to invest in my own development, rather than a decision to leave (anything) behind,” she explained. “Due to the situation and the conflicts that were taking place, that made returning to Libya and building a meaningful career even more difficult.” She was 24 when she arrived in the UK on a scholarship to study at the University of Kent. Adapting meant learning a new professional culture and way of working, yet the experience provided invaluable perspective and skills.

Mizran is far from alone in her journey. Nader Elgadi, 36, was running his own media company in Tripoli when fighting broke out around the capital’s airport in late 2014 during Libya’s second civil war. He also traveled to the UK for a master’s degree with the intention of returning home, but as threats against activists escalated, he chose to stay. “I went from running my own business and living comfortably in Libya to starting my life from scratch in the UK,” he noted. In 2018, Elgadi founded Libya in the UK, a cultural charity designed to foster community and support the diaspora trying to build a connection to the country they envisioned.

Fifteen years later, both Mizran and Elgadi consider the UK home, even as Libya continues to exert a powerful pull. While experts like Tarek Megerisi of the European Council on Foreign Relations point out that systemic corruption and governance issues have driven ambitious youth away, others, such as CRI Menas associate Toby Chitayat, debate the long-term measurable impact of this brain drain against broader challenges like oil revenue volatility. Nevertheless, for professionals like Mizran, the ultimate goal remains tied to the future of Libya’s landscape, contingent upon the establishment of true stability and a country where people can safely build their lives.