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Climate Change, Displacement and Human Rights: The Principle of Non-Refoulement and the Right to Life in the Context of Climate Change

Johnson Petri, Rui LU (2020) JURM02 20202
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
Millions of people are displaced annually due to environmental stress and degradation, causing them to move in prospects of a sustainable livelihood. However, given the lack of mechanisms and systems to provide legal protection for displaced individuals, the future of such migrants is uncertain. Using a human rights-based approach, this thesis critically examines whether the principle of non-refoulement based on the right to life protects individuals displaced across borders by the impacts of climate change. Through an analysis of the international refugee regime, the thesis concludes that a legal lacuna exists due to difficulty conceptualizing climate change-related movement within the refugee definition. As such, complementary protection... (More)
Millions of people are displaced annually due to environmental stress and degradation, causing them to move in prospects of a sustainable livelihood. However, given the lack of mechanisms and systems to provide legal protection for displaced individuals, the future of such migrants is uncertain. Using a human rights-based approach, this thesis critically examines whether the principle of non-refoulement based on the right to life protects individuals displaced across borders by the impacts of climate change. Through an analysis of the international refugee regime, the thesis concludes that a legal lacuna exists due to difficulty conceptualizing climate change-related movement within the refugee definition. As such, complementary protection under the human rights regime by the principle of non-refoulement in light of the expanding protection on the right to life emerges as a possible alternative. The thesis conducts an in-depth analysis of three scenarios in which a violation of the right to life may trigger non-refoulement obligations. While a path for protection is identified, it is arguably more theoretical than practical. Two obstacles — a high threshold for establishing a violation of the right to life and the concept of ‘imminence’ — constrict the utility of the principle of non-refoulement, especially in the context of slow-onset environmental degradation. These challenges are critically analyzed, which generates several pathways to enhance and strengthen protection. Recognizing these limitations, the thesis examines the potential contribution of climate change litigation in developing and expanding the law. The findings show that in addition to formal regulatory effects, litigation can generate normative shifts necessary for change. Until the international community adopts new, binding instruments to protect individuals displaced by climate change, the thesis concludes that climate change litigation is one place where our focus should be. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Migration är en oundviklig och betydande konsekvens av klimatförändringar. Varje år tvingas millioner människor lämna sina hem i kölvattnet av katastrofer och fler väntas migrera i takt med att klimatförändringar ökar i frekvens och magnitud. Det saknas dock rättsliga mekanismer för att gripa an klimatrelaterad migration. Därmed syftar uppsatsen till att kritiskt undersöka i vilken utsträckning principen om non-refoulement i samband med rätten till liv kan skydda människor som flyr på grund av klimatförändringar. Genom att analysera den internationella flyktingsregimen, drar uppsatsen slutsatsen att det finns ett rättsligt vakuum vad gäller klimatrelaterad migration. Mot denna bakgrund framstår den internationella regimen för mänskliga... (More)
Migration är en oundviklig och betydande konsekvens av klimatförändringar. Varje år tvingas millioner människor lämna sina hem i kölvattnet av katastrofer och fler väntas migrera i takt med att klimatförändringar ökar i frekvens och magnitud. Det saknas dock rättsliga mekanismer för att gripa an klimatrelaterad migration. Därmed syftar uppsatsen till att kritiskt undersöka i vilken utsträckning principen om non-refoulement i samband med rätten till liv kan skydda människor som flyr på grund av klimatförändringar. Genom att analysera den internationella flyktingsregimen, drar uppsatsen slutsatsen att det finns ett rättsligt vakuum vad gäller klimatrelaterad migration. Mot denna bakgrund framstår den internationella regimen för mänskliga rättigheter som ett alternativt, komplementärt skydd genom principen om non-refoulement och rätten till liv. Uppsatsen analyserar tre scenarier i vilka en kränkning av rätten till liv kan ge upphov till non-refoulement förpliktelser. Den drar slutsatsen att non-refoulement erbjuder visst skydd för klimatmigranter, men att vissa begränsningar hindrar principen från att aktualiseras. Dels är tröskeln för en kränkning av rätten till liv mycket hög, dels anses inte gradvisa hot som härrör från långsam klimatförändring vara tillräckligt överhängande. Ett antal åtgärder föreslås för att förbättra och stärka principen om non-refoulement. Uppsatsen undersöker även huruvida klimatmål, så kallad ‘climate change litigation,’ kan utveckla och utvidga skyddet för klimatmigranter. Analysen visar att klimatmål kan skapa formella regleringar, samt generera nödvändiga normativa förändringar kring klimatrelaterad migration. Fram till att det internationella samfundet antar nya, bindande instrument för att skydda individer som flyr på grund av klimatförändringar, argumenterar uppsatsen att klimatmål och domstolar är en plats där vårt fokus borde vara. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Johnson Petri, Rui LU
supervisor
organization
course
JURM02 20202
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
public international law, climate change-related displacement, the principle of non-refoulement, human rights, right to life, climate change litigation
language
English
id
9034540
date added to LUP
2021-02-04 11:58:44
date last changed
2021-02-04 11:58:44
@misc{9034540,
  abstract     = {{Millions of people are displaced annually due to environmental stress and degradation, causing them to move in prospects of a sustainable livelihood. However, given the lack of mechanisms and systems to provide legal protection for displaced individuals, the future of such migrants is uncertain. Using a human rights-based approach, this thesis critically examines whether the principle of non-refoulement based on the right to life protects individuals displaced across borders by the impacts of climate change. Through an analysis of the international refugee regime, the thesis concludes that a legal lacuna exists due to difficulty conceptualizing climate change-related movement within the refugee definition. As such, complementary protection under the human rights regime by the principle of non-refoulement in light of the expanding protection on the right to life emerges as a possible alternative. The thesis conducts an in-depth analysis of three scenarios in which a violation of the right to life may trigger non-refoulement obligations. While a path for protection is identified, it is arguably more theoretical than practical. Two obstacles — a high threshold for establishing a violation of the right to life and the concept of ‘imminence’ — constrict the utility of the principle of non-refoulement, especially in the context of slow-onset environmental degradation. These challenges are critically analyzed, which generates several pathways to enhance and strengthen protection. Recognizing these limitations, the thesis examines the potential contribution of climate change litigation in developing and expanding the law. The findings show that in addition to formal regulatory effects, litigation can generate normative shifts necessary for change. Until the international community adopts new, binding instruments to protect individuals displaced by climate change, the thesis concludes that climate change litigation is one place where our focus should be.}},
  author       = {{Johnson Petri, Rui}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Climate Change, Displacement and Human Rights: The Principle of Non-Refoulement and the Right to Life in the Context of Climate Change}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}