By: Sophie D.
Photo by: Riccardo Gangale via UNHCR
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “a refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence.” For 79.5 million refugees every year, this definition holds true. However, for another 18.8 million individuals fleeing their homes annually due to environmental dangers, it is outdated (UNHCR, 2020). When the 1951 Refugee Convention developed the modern definition for refugees, it excluded climate change from the list of legitimate perils that warrant refugee status. Therefore, the term “climate refugee” does not exist under international law (1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951). This technical barrier, however, has not changed the reality that climate change is a tangible threat, forcing millions to abandon their homes and seek sanctuary each year. In fact, not only are climate refugees real, but their numbers are increasing at alarming rates. The UN forecasts that approximately one billion environmental migrants will exist by 2050 (Bassetti, 2019). Concerning predictions such as this pose the question: with many countries refusing to accept refugees because of xenophobia and economic instability today, will our world be equipped to handle the massive influx of climate refugees in coming years? While the answer to that question is multifaceted and unpredictable, taking a look at the conditions refugees are facing during the current global pandemic may very well be an excellent indication.
1951 Refugee Convention Photo from: UN Archives
The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking global havoc, leaving behind massive consequences. One such consequence includes border closures, impacting tourism industries, bilateral trade, and refugees. While closures between states limit the spread of the virus, they also serve as an excuse for many countries to stop accepting refugees (Bir, 2020). Because of new closures, the fate of future climate refugees may depend on whether countries reinstate their original policies after the pandemic, or continue to limit accepted refugee numbers well into the future. One prime example of a country closing their borders to refugees is Germany, a state typically open to refugees that “put on hold a refugee pact with Turkey and will no longer accept refugees from any country,” leaving thousands of refugees stranded (Deutsche Welle, 2020). Seeing that countries like Germany are regressing on prior refugee pledges to prioritize the safety of resident citizens during the pandemic, it is safe to assume that climate refugees may struggle to find open borders when faced with disastrous environmental conditions worldwide.
Of course, not all refugees are in motion; many currently reside in managed refugee camps. For those 28.6 million refugees, COVID-19 has certainly left its mark (Reid, 2020). The UNHCR writes that “it may not be possible to respect hygiene and social distancing measures” at refugee camps. Often cramped into small living spaces that lack clean water, soap, and other basic hygiene products, refugees are a high risk population for contracting and spreading coronavirus. Such sanitation issues pose an extreme risk for climate refugees particularly, “as climate change likely forces people to migrate from rural to urban areas” (Ober, 2020), which have increased population density and decreased access to water and sanitation. Additionally, refugees are further lacking the proper educational and economic opportunities than usual, as the pandemic decreased in-person school and job openings, and many refugees do not have access to technology that allows them to connect online. These challenges are heavily demonstrated in countries such as Iraq and Lebanon, where the majority of internally displaced people have lost their jobs. Additionally, “in South Africa, 95 percent of the appeals for help received by UNHCR were from refugees who were previously self-sufficient” (Luxner, 2020). As demonstrated by these examples, refugees have long been under-resourced and isolated from technology, boding poorly for the increasing climate refugees.
Taking a glimpse at how unprepared the global community was for COVID-19 in the context of refugees reveals a future for climate refugees that appears grim. Border closures, improper sanitation, and limited financial opportunities are just a few of the current challenges for refugees that also hover dangerously on the horizon. This is not to say that countries cannot adapt. Despite its consequences, COVID-19 still serves as a learning opportunity, and global improvement for refugee conditions is certainly possible. While it is clear that the world is not currently equipped for the inevitable influx of climate refugees, factors such as legal recognition of climate refugees, international expansions of refugee camps, improvement of refugee sanitation policies, and increased technology-related opportunities for refugees are all potential solutions to many of the dilemmas the pandemic has brought to light. With serious global focus and problem solving, the future of climate refugees may not be as grim as COVID-19 has foreshadowed. It is certain, however, that beyond improvement of refugee policies, their future depends on our investment in a greener future, which could prevent many from becoming refugees in the first place.
Discussion Questions:
-In what way does the global response to COVID-19 foreshadow how prepared countries are for influxes in refugee numbers?
-What is the significance of legally recognizing climate refugees on an international scale?