Climate Migrants and the Denial of Refugee Status
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v11i4.3736Keywords:
Climate Migration, Refugee, 1951 Convention on RefugeesAbstract
Climate change is a worldwide phenomenon that is gradually transforming every aspect of our world. A consequence of the many environmental effects, a significant humanitarian outcome of it is climate migration. Not covered by the 1951 Convention on Refugees and lacking any other comprehensive legislation, climate migrants are unprotected and vulnerable. Considering the high possibility of further environmental degradation, this paper explores the current situations of the impacted people by examining the legal definition outlined in the 1951 Convention and by looking at ways to ameliorate the issue. Focusing strongly on the denial of the refugee status and the importance of perspective, I prioritize an anthropological methodology through the investigation of two case studies, Kiribati’s Ioane Teitiota and the country of Guatemala. With an analysis of their past, current, and possible future situations, I highlight the difficulty of distinguishing economic migrants from climate migrants and point out the importance that the factor of time has in these cases.
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