What are climate refugees and why does the term spark debate?
The term is used in the press, but it has no consensus legal definition, and experts disagree on using it.
Direct answer: "climate refugees" is an expression used for people who leave their homes because of the effects of environmental change, such as droughts, floods or sea-level rise. The term sparks debate because the international legal definition of "refugee" does not, as a rule, include environmental reasons, and because displacement has several causes. Experts disagree on using the term.
Three points to understand
- Legal definition. The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as someone who has crossed a border out of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a social group. Disasters and climate change, on their own, are not in that definition, which creates a protection gap for people who move for those reasons. Some countries and regions have their own instruments for specific cases.
- Internal displacement and multiple causes. A large share of people displaced by environmental factors remains within their own country. Moreover, the decision to migrate usually has several combined causes (economy, conflict, services, climate), which makes it hard to isolate climate as the sole reason.
- A debate over language. Some experts and organizations prefer expressions such as "people displaced in the context of climate change", to avoid confusion with the legal concept of refugee. Others defend the term "climate refugee" for drawing attention to the seriousness and the need for protection. There is also concern that broadening the definition would weaken existing protection.
An example
A community on a low-lying island sees the sea advance and loses land and sources of fresh water. Some families move to a city in the same country; others seek opportunities in another country. Each case has its own factors, and the legal classification of the people depends on the place and the applicable laws. This is an illustrative example.
How to read the news
- Note how the term is being used: as a journalistic expression or as a legal category.
- Look for numbers and sources: from migration agencies and international bodies.
- See whether the text distinguishes internal displacement from migration between countries.
- Beware of very precise predictions about the future.
Next reading
Also see the articles on how humanitarian corridors work and on spotting misleading maps, which help read international news critically.