The situation of vulnerability and the impact of the pandemic on climate refugees
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14409/redoeda.v9i2.12399Keywords:
environmental refugees, covid-19, vulnerability, inequality, crisisAbstract
The climate crisis brings with it environmental, social, and economic impacts, in addition to environmental ones. Within these social and economic impacts, the shelter context is one of the most alarming. Additionally, this crisis was coupled with the advent of the pandemic, which, in addition to the health crisis, widened the inequality gaps, harming the most vulnerable people. Faced with this situation, this article aims to analyze whether the current international legal framework offers straightforward solutions to the distress of climate migrants. In the end, it concludes that it is necessary to establish legal status for the environmental refugee. Such a status can combine the international human rights regime and experiences adopted in regional environmental protection systems. Environmental refugees are a reality and require a concrete response.
References
CHETAIL, Vicent. Are Refugee Rights Human Rights? An Unorthodox Questioning of the Relations between Refugee Law and Human Rights Law', In RUBIO-MARÍN, Ruth (ed.). Human Rights and Immigration, Collected Courses of the Academy of European Law, Oxford, 2014. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198701170.003.0002
EDWARDS, A., Refugee Status Determination in Africa. African Journal of International & Comparative Law, Edinburgh, vol. 14, n. 1, 2006, pp. 204-233, Available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1535377.
FAKHOURY, T., Lebanon excludes refugees from coronavirus response at its peril, September 2022. Available at:https://english.alaraby.co.uk/opinion/lebanon-excludes-refugees-coronavirus-response-its-peril
HINNAWI, Essam, Environmental refugees, Nairobi: UNEP, 1985. Available at: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/121267
HUT, E. et al. Covid-19, climate change and migration: constructing crises, reinforcing borders. In IOM Series on the COVID-19 Pandemic, Migration and the Environment, 2021. Available at: https://environmentalmigration.iom.int/blogs/covid-19-climate-change-and-migration-constructing-crises-reinforcing-borders.
IACHR, Climate Emergency Scope of Inter-American Human Rights Obligations: Resolution No. 3/2021, 2021. Available at: https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/decisions/pdf/2021/resolucion_3-21_ENG.pdf
IOM, The COVID-19 pandemic, migration and the environment. Environmental Migration Portal, 2021, Available at: https://environmentalmigration.iom.int/covid-19-pandemic-migration-and-environment
PCC. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2022. Available at https://www.ipcc.ch/
KALPANA, Sharma, La pandemia, espejo de nuestra vulnerabilidad, 2020. Available at: https://es.unesco.org/courier/2020-3/pandemia-espejo-nuestra-vulnerabilidad
MCADAM, Jane, El desplazamiento provocado por el cambio climático y el derecho internacional. In Evento paralelo al Diálogo del Alto Comisionado sobre los desafíos en materia de protección, Ginebra, 2010. Available at: https://www.acnur.org/5d5476434.pdf
MCADAM, Jane, Climate Change Displacement and International Law: Complementary Protection Standards, Geneva, 2011. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/4dff16e99.pdf
OCHOA, J. South America’s Response to the Venezuelan Exodus: A Spirit of Regional Cooperation? International Journal of Refugee Law. v. 32, n. 3, p. 472–497, Oct. 2020,
SYDNEY, C., Covid-19, a risk multiplier for future distress migration and displacement? In IOM Series on the COVID-19 Pandemic, Migration and the Environment. 2021. Available at: https://environmentalmigration.iom.int/blogs/covid-19-risk-multiplier-future-distress-migration-and-displacement.
THE LANCET. Climate and COVID-19: converging crises. Lancet, 2022. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32579-4
THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION, Malaysia detains hundreds of refugees and migrants during virus lockdown -rights groups. News.trust.org, 2022. Available at https://news.trust.org/item/20200501124516-j7axo/
TOWER, Amali, Facing eroding protections, hundreds of Rohingya flee camp to no avail. Climate Refugees, 2022, Available at: https://www.climate-refugees.org/spotlight/5/4/20-4
TOWER, Amali, Fear stops refugees getting tested as Coronavirus hits camps. Climate Refugees, 2020. Available at: https://www.climate-refugees.org/spotlight/2020/6/9-coxbazar?rq=cox%27s
TOWER, Amali, Malaysia Detains Hundreds of Refugees & Migrants During COVID19, Climate Refugees, September 1, 2022. Available at https://www.climate-refugees.org/spotlight/2020/5/5-1?rq=malaysia.
TOWER, Amali, Lebanon’s refugees & COVID-19. Climate Refugees, 2022. https://www.climate-refugees.org/spotlight/2020/5/8-2?rq=lebanon
UNHCR, Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. HCR/IP/4/Eng/REV, Geneva, 1992.
UNHCR, Summary Conclusions on the interpretation of the extended refugee definition in the 1984 Cartagena Declaration. Expert roundtable Interpretation of the extended refugee definition contained in the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2013.
UNHCR, Guidelines on Temporary Protection or Stay Arrangements, 2014.
UNHCR, Legal considerations regarding claims for international protection made in the context of the adverse effects of climate change and disasters, 2020.
UN Human Rights Committee (HRC), Ioane Teitiota v. New Zealand. CCPR/C/127/D/2728/2016, 7 January 2020, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,HRC,5e26f7134.html .
UN, Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951.
UN News, COVID, natural hazards and climate crisis in Asia and the Pacific expand ‘riskcape’, 2021. Available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/08/1098412.
UN. Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council: 26/27 Human rights and climate change A/HRC/RES/26/27, 2014. Available at: https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G14/083/51/PDF/G1408351.pdf?OpenElement
UNHCR. Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, Ethiopia 10th September 1969.
UNHCR. Cartagena Declaration on Refugees, adopted by the Colloquium on the International Protection of Refugees in Central America, Mexico and Panama, Cartagena de Indias, November 1984. Available at:https://www.unhcr.org/about-us/background/45dc19084/cartagena-declaration-refugees-adopted-colloquium-international-protection.html
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Felipe Téllez Guzmán
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this Journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal of Constitutional Research the right of first publication with the article simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0 International which allows sharing the work with recognition of the authors and its initial publication in this Journal.
- Authors are able to take on additional contracts separately, for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the paper published in this Journal (eg.: publishing in institutional repository or as a book), with a recognition of its initial publication in this Journal.
- Authors are allowed and encouraged to publish their work online (eg.: in institutional repositories or on their personal website) at any point before or during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as increase the impact and the citation of the published work (see the Effect of Open Access).