Climate change is increasingly being reported on, yet climate change refugees are not recognised. Recently, AP News published an article –climate migration growing but not fully recognised by the world–written by Julie Watson. This article highlighted how climate change refugees are not recognised in current refugee law. In particular, the 1951 Refugee Convention only protects those who face a “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country” (United Nations, 1951, p.14). As a result, climate refugees receive no protection from other states because they cannot be legally recognised. Regardless, AP News’ article shows how something needs to be changed so that climate change refugees can be provided with the legal status and care they need.
Watson also highlights how the world is experiencing various climate change-related issues, including “wildfires overrunning towns in California, rising seas overtaking island nations and drought exacerbating conflicts” (Watson, 2022). Environmental factors are a key factor in climate change-related issues. For instance, people often have to flee their homes when water becomes undrinkable, which reflects their worsening living conditions. In the past, it has been more common for the Global South to experience climate-related issues, but it is rapidly spreading throughout the world with the wildfires in California and Australia as well as the more recent heatwaves in Europe. These instances reflect how climate change and the refugees arising from it, will not be seeking protection temporarily, but more permanently as their homes have been damaged.
Another news article that was published regarding climate change was James Crawford’s the big idea: do nations really need borders? Crawford’s article was published in the Guardian. His article highlights how physical territories no longer play a role in constituting a state, so he calls for a reconceptualization of states’ relationships with their land, which a new international law/convention such as a second Westphalia can change. The original Peace of Westphalia written in 1648 focused on “National self-determination; Precedent for ending wars through diplomatic congresses; Peaceful coexistence among sovereign states as the norm; [and] Maintained by a balance of power among sovereign states and acceptance of principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other sovereign states” (Timberman, 2015). However, these ideas are no longer at the centre of the international area as current issues are challenging them.
Crawford draws on how different countries are responding to climate change and its refugees. He begins his article with Simon Kofe’s – the foreign minister of Tuvalu – address at the Glasgow Climate Conference last year. Crawford summarises Kofe’s address and highlights how Tuvalu is “living the reality of climate change” and Kofe’s claim that “when the sea is rising around us all the time, climate mobility must come to the forefront”. Tuvaluans are part of the world’s earliest climate change refugee population, though they do not want to be regarded as such, since it refrains them from their rights. Instead, they want to promote climate mobility so they can retain their statehood, even when all their physical territory is gone.
The Pacific Islands are experiencing drastic impacts of climate change, yet many citizens refuse to believe in them. Hermann’s Climate Change, Emotions and Religion: Imagining the Future in Central Oceania provides an insightful account of how Pacific Islanders, especially how I-Kiribati view climate change. Hermann states that “On the one hand, their religiosity helps them to cope with the worry over their land, fear of a rising sea level and sadness at the thought of a worst-case scenario and develop social resilience. On the other hand, they rely on their beliefs to confirm their love of their land and draw hope and gain strength from it in order to take adaptive measures” (Hermann, 2020, 274). I-Kiribati also“turn to God… in their search for support and help”, whilst believing that God holds the highest power and will guide them in future events. (Hermann, 2020, 276). In addition, they refuse to believe in the research and risk that climate change poses by wanting to remain on the island until death. The government has purchased a section of Fiji land for them to live on, yet they refuse to go there (Hermann, 2020). This reflects how they do not want to lose the emotional connection they have with their land and its people.
Crawford also comments on Europe’s views on climate change refugees. He brings attention to how “Austria’s Freedom party (FPÖ) has stated that ‘climate change must never become a recognised justification for asylum’” (Crawford, 2022). In comparison, “Italy’s Lega have called for ‘national climate adaptation’”, where people need to adapt their ideas to live and thrive in a more damaging climate (Crawford, 2022). Austria’s claims show how they do not want to recognise climate change refugees, whereas Italy wants to do their best to support climate change refugees.
Other countries in the world also need to take a similar approach to Italy as climate change can be considered a global crisis since it affects everyone. However, as discussions of climate change are only recently occurring, it feels that they have happened a bit too late. It is now the time to act on climate change, not plan for it. In this manner, countries and international institutions/organisations should focus on working together to create set rules, and incentives for cooperation, develop reporting, provide dispute resolution mechanisms, and create norms so that the world can collectively work together on issues of climate change. In effect, creating a new international law/convention that is solely based on climate change will help improve the lives of climate change refugees and this will effectively be done when states and international institutions/organizations collaborate.
References
Crawford, James. (2022). “The big idea: do nations really need borders?” Last accessed 13 August 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/01/the-big-idea-do-nations-really-need-borders?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other.
Hermann, Elfriede. (2020). “Climate Change, Emotions and Religion: Imagining the Future in Central Oceania.” Anthropological Forum 30, no. 3: 274-291.https://doi.org/10.1080/00664677.2020.1812051.
Timberman, Tom. (2015). “The Peace of Westphalia and its 4 Principles for Interstate Relations Isn’t Failing.” Last accessed 13 August 2022, from https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-peace-of-westphalia-and-its-4-principles-for-interstate-relations-isnt-failing
Watson, Julie. (2022). “Climate migration growing but not fully recognised by the world.” Last accessed 13 August 2022, from https://apnews.com/article/mexico-droughts-immigration-united-nations-natural-disasters-175988903af187bf08fa89f8f13ac8e2.
United Nations. (1951). “Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees”, pp.1-52. Last accessed on 22 May 2022, from https://www.unhcr.org/protection/basic/3b66c2aa10/convention-protocol-relating-status-refugees.html.
Himani Chauhan is an International Relations & History graduate and is currently pursuing a Masters of Migration Studies from Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand). She comes from a family of immigrants which has shaped her experiences, views, and interests in wanting to further explore and work in this area of study. Her area of interest includes – Migration, History and Human Rights.