Protection for “Climate Migrants”: Global Challenges and a Call for Political Leadership

The question of climate migration has occupied academic scholars in recent years. Forced displacement due to climate change is a prevalent threat for many low-lying coastal areas, as well as for the countries suffering from desertification. Both the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and Global Compact on Refugees of 2018 recognize climate change as a potential driver for migration. Yet, environmental or climatic threats are not the bases for protection in international law, which does not recognize refugee status as being driven by these factors. This chapter looks at existing policies for the protection of individuals escaping environmental threats from their country of origin. The purpose of the analysis is to provide examples of protection mechanisms for environmental and climate migrants that are already available and potentially applicable in such cases