• Navigating Climate-Induced Displacement in the Common European Asylum System: Assessing the European Union's Capacity for Fair and Sustainable Protection of Climate Refugees

This research was undertaken as part of a second year Research Project module focusing on the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). The essay addresses the pertinent issue of climate-induced displacement, a significant and ongoing global challenge. The motivation behind this work stems from the increasing number of individuals forced to leave their homes due to climate-related harm, highlighting the urgent need for effective and sustainable European Union (EU) asylum policies. By addressing these issues, the essay contributes to the broader discourse on climate change and migration, offering insights into how the EU can lead in providing equitable and sustainable protection for climate refugees. The recommendations for reform are essential for the EU to fulfil its humanitarian obligations and maintain its leading position in climate action and human rights.

The essay utilises primary and secondary sources including legislation, case law, journal articles and books. This comprehensive approach allows for a thorough analysis of the CEAS and its capacity to manage the impact of climate-induced displacement. The essay critically examines the definition and legal status of ‘climate refugees’, the challenges posed by climate-induced displacement to the CEAS, and the existing European climate law provisions. The findings reveal that while the EU has made strides in climate law, significant gaps remain in the protection of so-called ‘climate refugees’. The CEAS, designed to handle movement of traditional refugees, lacks provisions for those displaced by climate change, posing substantial challenges as a result: inadequate reception conditions and the absence of a unified approach across the EU. The research concludes that although the EU has the potential to develop a fair and sustainable asylum framework for ‘climate refugees’, achieving this requires substantial political and economic reforms. It underscores the necessity for the EU to expand its legal definitions and protections to climate-induced displacement, upholding human rights.