‘Young want to leave’: Libya’s brain drain, 15 years after Tripoli fell

London, United Kingdom – Sarah Mizran, a 32-year-old architect, was a teenager when Tripoli fell in August 2011, as opposition fighters swept into the capital.It was the beginning of the end for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Having ruled for 42 years, he was soon captured and killed near Sirte.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Hundreds protest in Libya outside UN agency against undocumented migrantslist 2 of 4Protests erupt in Libya’s Tripoli as anger grows over power cutslist 3 of 4Drone attacks on energy infrastructure deepen Libya’s energy crisislist 4 of 4Can diplomacy end the conflict in Libya?end of listEight 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 people like Mizran, the battle set in motion a departure that is still unfolding 15 years on.Already drawn to the concept of sustainable architecture and what it could mean for Libya, Mizran pursued a master’s degree in architecture...