In late November 2022, the APPG Migration in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (UK) hosted a private parliamentary briefing on climate change, migration and displacement.

The briefing was an opportunity for a group of cross-party parliamentarians to hear from a panel of experts from academia, international organisations and diaspora representatives about the links between climate change, migration and displacement.

Chairs: Olivia Blake MP and Baroness Lister of Burtersett 

Speakers:

• Roger Zetter, Emeritus Professor and Former Director of the Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford University.  
• Mariam Traore Chazalnoel, Senior Policy Officer, Department of Policy and Research, IOM HQ, Geneva;  
• Albert Tucker, Business Adviser, African Foundation For Development (AFFORD), UK. 

Discussion

The panel focussed on the ways in which climate change can affect migration and displacement, as well as how high income countries like the UK can best support countries most affected by climate change and adjust their legal and policy frameworks to ensure climate migrants’ protection needs are met.

The discussion included questions such as whether it is useful to speak of ‘climate refugees’ and how high-emitting, high-income countries like the UK can respond to climate-induced mobility. Supporting the resilience of countries most affected by climate change, including by involving migrant diaspora communities in host countries and investing in technological advancement in countries of origin were discussed. Speakers and parliamentarians also discussed the importance of facilitating migration as a key adaptation strategy to climate change-related events when appropriate, using existing migration avenues, including labour migration pathways. Finally, proposals around a transfer of workers with green skills between high income and low income countries most affected by climate to support a global green transitions were also debated. 

Parliamentarians present at the discussion reiterated the need for further parliamentary engagement on these issues.